You're Not Kenobi
by PFMFanfiction
Summary: In the Canyons of Tatooine, Maul's reveal was premature, and instead of using Ezra as a means to find Kenobi, Ezra found Maul first, hiding in the shadows. Alternate Timeline to the episode "Twin Suns".
1. Revelation

The canyons fell dark as the flames from the explosion diminished and all that was left were the remains of the A-wing, scattered across the ground. The tribal calls of Tuskan Raiders echoed in the distance. Ezra, a bit dazed from the explosion, looked up to see Chopper, nudging at him in a frantic manner.

"BWA BWA BWA! BWA BWA BWA!"

"Yes Chopper, I hear you. OW! Could you not hit me so hard?"

"BWA BWA BWA!"

Chopper was shifting his head from Ezra to the top of the canyon, using his mechanical arms to gesture towards the edge of the ridge.

"BWA BWA!"

"Life-form readings. Chopper, are they Tuskan Raiders?"

"BWA BWA…"

Before he could finish, screams could be heard coming from the top of the canyon. Something animal like, but still, human. The shrill of fear was clearly heard in the screams, before an all too familiar whooshing sound ended the terrified beings. A chill ran down Ezra's spine.

"Maul." _How could this be? How did he know I was…_

He remembered. Ezra remembered the converging of the Holocrons in the asteroid belt. He remembered the witch magic and the convergence of minds on Dathomir. Now, he and Maul were converging again, at the one place with the one man they were trying to get to; Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 _This is not right, it's not supposed to be like this! If Maul knows where Kenobi is, then…_

Ezra stopped himself. He turned and looked at Chopper, who was quiet for his usual self, all while trying to get his attention, of course. He pondered at the thought.

 _If this is not where Kenobi is, then why come here, Maul? Why to this lone canyon in the middle of nowhere that I only found because of… the Holocron!_

He looked at the piece of Holocron cupped within his hand with a cautious eye. Could the mergence of the Holocrons also have changed who, or what, controls them? He studied the piece, but then, he heard another cry of fear, this time, further away from the ridge.

"C'mon, Chop! We can't let him escape!"

"BWA BWA BWA BWA!"

"Yeah, I know Kanan wouldn't want me to do this, but what other choice do we have!"

Chopper protested and was pointing Ezra in the opposite direction. Ezra sighed in frustration, but cleared his mind and kneeled to meet Chopper's eye line. He set his hands on the old Astromech droid and looked straight into his cybernetic eyes.

"Okay Chopper, I need you to go find me a ship. What ship? Any ship. But I need one ready to take off in case something goes wrong."

Chopper protested again, wanting Ezra to come with him. He pulled at his clothes and was shoving him away from Maul's direction. Ezra looked at him with a stern eye.

"Please Chop. If something happens to me, you need to get out of here and tell the others what happened. And if we make it out of this, you can say how much of a fool I was to everyone."

This caught Chopper's attention, not the last statement, but the fact that Ezra may or may not make it out of this. Ezra got up and looked back at Chopper. He did not want to wait around any longer.

"Good luck, Chop. See you on the other side!"

He bolted towards Maul's direction, not even giving Chopper enough time to protest his objections to Ezra again. Chopper stood there, staring at Ezra as he ran into certain danger, certain death. He saw Ezra start to ascend one of the rock faces. In a desperate attempt to follow Ezra, Chopper activated his boost pack, but it wasn't turning on. He tried again, no use. Chopper scanned through his data and found that his pack had been deactivated, and it could only be reactivated manually. Chopper yelled in frustration, spinning his head and flailing his arms up and down. There was only one other option for the droid, and he didn't like it.

* * *

Ezra was just a few feet from the top ridge of the canyon when he stopped climbing and, very slowly, peeked his head over the edge of the canyon wall. He hadn't felt any living thing during the entire trek up, but he would rather have been safe than sorry. On the ridge, Ezra scouted for Maul, scanning the horizon for any trace of life, any subtle movement, but there was nothing.

He lifted his body to the top of the canyon to have a better look, but not a living thing was atop the ridge. All that was seen were the few dead corpses of the Tuskan Raiders, their chests still producing smoke from their blade wounds. He looked in horror, recalling the encounter on Malachor; the bodies of the Sand people a perfect mirror to the body of the 7th Sister, cut down in furious anger, yet still perfect in its precision. Even some of the charred scars were cut down the body in the same vertical motion.

Ezra looked at the sand for any foot trails, drops of sweat, even a single drop of blood from Maul. Nothing. He looked at the horizon, watching the plain for any subtle movement, any sign of life. But still, there was nothing.

 _How did this happen?_ Ezra thought, _He was just here, I know it, I…_ He felt something, a chill, a cold.

 _He is here, but, where?_

Something was off about this situation, and it wasn't the fact that there was a murdering maniac on the loose.

 _He wanted to find Kenobi, but he didn't want to be spotted by him either, right?_ He looked at the deceased corpses of the Sand People. Then, an old voice returned to him. " _You have done well, my apprentice_."

Ezra turned around, his eyes wild; fearing Maul was right behind him. Then Ezra realized Maul's true intentions. The murder of roaming Sand People, the secrecy and hiding in the shadows.

 _Maul was using me to find Kenobi._

He looked down upon the hard rocky sand and cursed at himself for being so naive. Maul didn't want to be noticed, not by Kenobi, but by Ezra; and the fact that he was still hiding now meant he thought Ezra hadn't noticed him yet. He stopped and pondered at that last thought.

 _But how do I draw him out?_

Ezra looked at the piece of Holocron, then back at the charred bodies of the Sand People. He had an idea, a stupid one at that, but it was the only one he could think of. He just hoped he would notice Maul before Maul noticed him.

* * *

I feel a disturbance in the force, a tremor.

Maul looked at his piece of the Holocron and saw it begin to glow. It did not radiate as the usual blood red, rather, a soft blue. Its pull did not feel like that of anger, but that of, peace.

 _There is no peace, foolish Jedi. And now, you will only know pain and death, old Kenobi._

Now that Maul had proof that Kenobi was indeed alive and on Tatooine, he needed only to follow the young padawan and find the Jedi master. The trace seemed to lead him back into the canyon range, which wouldn't be a problem for the stealthy and experienced Maul. In fact, he would use the tall shadows of the canyon walls as an advantage. He looked up at the bright moons of the midnight sky.

 _Thank you, my apprentice._

* * *

It had been hours since the crash, but Ezra did not feel the slightest bit tired, despite having spent much of his time wandering through the canyons to find an advantage point to where he could see Maul, but Maul would not see him. Ezra looked down from the cave where he hid from to see if Maul was approaching, though he saw nothing other than the layered rocks of the canyon walls and a few sparse bushes across the ground. The cave, which lay a couple stories off the canyon floor, gave Ezra a slight edge in trying to spot the former Sith. The cool nighttime winds blew by, and Ezra, warmed only by the robes of a deceased Tuskan Raider, looked at the ancient Jedi relic with concern.

He calmed himself and, using the light side of the Force, activated the Holocron enough to where he could feel the presence of the opposing Holocron. He soon stopped, and set the piece down on his lap, caught his breath, then picked up the piece and did it again. He had done this, repeatedly, over the past half hour, or was it an hour? Ezra could not be for sure just how long he had been doing this. All he knew is that he needed to convince Maul that he was Obi-Wan Kenobi long enough so that he could expose himself. Then Ezra would do what he should have done long ago. The problem was, did he even stand a chance against the former Sith?

* * *

The maze that was the canyon ran deep, but Maul would not be moved. He had been following the Holocrons trace, trusting that the boy had found Kenobi and would be still long enough for him to pounce. Though the top most parts of the canyon offered a better view, Maul did not want to reveal himself prematurely, for then Kenobi would surely know of his presence and the element of surprise would be nonexistent. He looked at his piece of the Holocron and reached out with the Force. He wanted to be sure he was following it correctly, as to not be lost in the canyons. He felt it again, a pull to the light. Maul followed without question, his vengeance soon to come.

* * *

 _What would Maul do to me knowing that his own plan was spoiled?_

The moons shifted their position across the sky, yet there was still no sign of Maul. At least another hour had to have passed since he started to try gaining Maul's attention, though he couldn't be for sure. Ezra picked up the piece and started again, struggling not to give into anger, not to let it show. If he did, he would have done all this for nothing, and Maul would find another way to seek out Kenobi. He started growing weary, and tired, struggling to even stay awake.

 _You have to do this_ , he said to himself, _for Kenobi, for the rebellion, for Kanan…_

Ezra threw the Holocron down immediately, feeling something burn up inside. An anger, a rage. His hands were trembling and he could barely control himself. Cold sweat was building up around his face, and his breathing became faster and heavy. He tried to slow his breathing as he repeated to himself…

"Not out of anger, not out of emotion. Not out of anger, not out of emotion…"

But it was still there, ever present, and wouldn't go away. Ezra started to panic, his breathing turning into hyperventilation and his mind becoming clouded. He feared that he blew it, fearing that this was all for nothing and Maul would figure out he had been tricked. Fearing that… he thought of Kanan, thought of Sabine, and Hera, Zeb, Chopper, Phoenix Squadron, the Rebellion, his mother, his father, all that they had fought for, would be worthless. His eyesight became foggy and his cheeks grew hot.

"I blew it! For him… for everyone!"

He lost it. Ezra reached for his lightsaber and was about to strike at the piece of Holocron, when suddenly, he stopped. Looking at his hands, he dropped to his knees and fell eerily silent. A single strand of tears ran down the right side of his face.

 _He wouldn't want this. Kanan, Kenobi… they need better of me. Stay strong, don't give in. Stay strong._

Pressing his back up against the cave wall, Ezra pulled the hood of the Tuskan's old robe over his head and began to meditate. He slowed his breathing and started to relax again.

 _Stay strong, Ezra. Stay strong._

* * *

Maul could feel his presence, one submerged in peace and light, and he hated it. He hated Kenobi more than anyone in the entire galaxy, even more than his former Master, who had betrayed him. Kenobi was his fuel for passion, a passion of anger, of hate. His only goal was to see Kenobi destroyed; to see his dead body laid before him, would bring him the fulfillment of his vengeance, of his revenge.

He approached the cliff-face and looked at its wall, dotted with cracks and dugouts, unable to comprehend how such a once noble Jedi could live in such a desolate place as this. Regardless, he trusted that his plan worked, and that the Holocron would not deceive him. It had never failed him before, and it would not fail him now.

Then it hit Maul, like a rushing gust of wind, he felt the Force more powerful on him than ever.

 _This is the end for you, Kenobi._

He knew exactly where it came from as well. Just a few hundred yards ahead and about five yards off the ground level. His approach would be stealthy, for it had to be done right. Maul disappeared into the shadows within an instant, following the trail the Force left behind.

* * *

Ezra felt a shiver, a cold so powerful that it hit him like shards of ice.

 _He's close._

Ezra pulled on as many pieces of cloth as he could, concealing his entire body and most of his face; with the exception of an opening around his eyes so that he could see. The Tuskan clothing was very rough and uncomfortable, but it was all that he had to work with. He never owned any Jedi cloaks or desert like clothing, but he remembered what Master Kenobi looked like before going into exile; recalling the static image of him in the Holocron when he sent a warning to the last remaining Jedi. Ezra moved towards the back of the cave, all while constantly keeping an eye on the entrance. He knew it was his one and only way of escape, but if this plan worked, it would have been worth the risk. Sweat beaded his head in anticipation.

 _There's no turning back now._

* * *

Maul was only a few yards from the cave's entrance. He could feel the presence of the Jedi strong enough it was like a thick mist. But something felt, off. Maul knew Kenobi and knew him well, for there was no one he knew better, not even his former master. Despite haven't meeting him in almost two decades, and despite his growing age, this was not the same man he met on Naboo all those years ago.

 _The Holocron couldn't have deceived me. Perhaps the man has grown more powerful than I anticipated. Surely, it would explain why his presence feels so... young._

He entered the darkened cave, only its entrance lighted by the desert moonlight. Though he could not see the man, Maul felt him through the Force, walking straight towards his direction. He was fueled only by his anger and his rage, the only aspect of himself he knew best. The cave did not run deep, only having a few dozen yards distance from the entrance to the cave's end.

Maul stopped halfway within the cave, and looked straight into the piercing bright blue eyes of the man. His giant desert robe concealed most of his body and his hood covered most of his face. His eyes barely peeking out from underneath the hood. It took no more than a second for Maul to realize he had been deceived.

 _His eyes are young, too young_.

The enraged Maul looked at the boy with a snarling glare, hissing with anger. The boy was sitting upon a rock, and in his hands, a piece of the broken Jedi Holocron.

He stared straight into the boy's eyes.

"You're not Kenobi."


	2. Confrontation

Ezra replied sarcastically. "Glad you figured that out."

Despite his Jedi training, Ezra could only feel fear. He had concealed all of it successfully until now. And Maul knew it. Maul was powerful, he was smart and cunning, surely he would have figured out his plan by now. Heck, it didn't take any more than a few moments for Maul to look past his disguise and figure out he wasn't Kenobi. Ezra sat there, trapped between his own consciousness and Maul's bloodthirsty eyes.

 _Maul can't see my fear_ , Ezra said to himself. _Trust in the Force._

"You're a clever one my apprentice, but not clever enough. You need a true master."

Ezra looked down at the Holocron, as if pondering the thought, but in reality, surprised that Maul still wanted him as an apprentice.

 _Is Maul really that desperate? Does he still think that I will be his apprentice? Then again, look at the lengths he went to find Kenobi._

Ezra toyed with the piece of the Holocron, deciding if there could really be another way out of this other than possibly combating the former Sith. He pondered at the thought, when suddenly, something deep inside him started to stir. It took him a few moments to realize what it was, and he struggled not to show it. His heart-rate started to increase dramatically.

 _What's happening?!_

He tilted his head up and looked at Maul, who had a beaming smile on his face. Ezra felt a pain in his chest and didn't know why. Was it because of Maul's presence, or some sick form of Sith trickery the man was using? Maul took a few steps forward and approached the young Jedi. He spoke in a rigid and cold tone, not one with anger, but with, infliction.

"I do believe you recall our visit to Malacor, do you not?"

Oh no. This is what Ezra was so desperate to avoid. The burning pain in his chest grew, and he knew the Dark side was clawing at him, trying to drag him back down to the depths he was at before. He wouldn't let it happen again; not this time, not ever. He could not let the Dark side cloud his thought, and needed to act fast. Maul continued his tempting scheme, approaching ever closer.

"Oh, you do, don't you. I would be surprised had you forgotten our lessons already."

Ezra got up and slowly removed the wrappings from his face.

"How could I forget", Ezra said, in as steady of a voice as he could speak. His mind, however, was racing and in a panic. There was so much at stake if he failed.

 _Focus Ezra!_

Maul approached closer, only a few yards in front of him now. He gave the boy a menacing glare, his smile bearing his jagged yellow teeth.

"With our combined strength, we can end the Empire's reign, destroy the Sith, and rule the galaxy together; as master and, apprentice."

The way Maul said that last word sent a shiver down Ezra's spine. He started pacing towards his left, slowly attempting to circle around Maul. He began unwrapping the cloths around his neck.

"And what about the Rebellion? What about my friends you tried to destroy?"

 _Karabast._ Ezra bit his lip, fearing he lost what little trust he had with the former Sith.

"Your friends were foolish, to think that the Dark Side could be of no benefit to you. Look at how much power you have gained by embracing it."

 _Focus,_ Ezra thought, _you're almost there. Just keep moving._ He already circled halfway around Maul.

Maul started approaching him once more, Ezra nearly stumbling backwards onto the cave wall. Maul looked at Ezra in a way that nearly caused him to faint where he stood. His menacing glare filled Ezra with fear. Maul tilted his head in a questioning like manner, his smile still ever present.

 _He knew._

"Ready to leave so soon, Ezra?"

His heart was racing, and Ezra knew there was only one shot at this. He loosened the dirty robe he wore, making it more moveable. Ezra looked at Maul, straight through his eyes. He took a deep and steady breath, gathered his strength and calmed his mind. _May the Force be with me._ A boulder the size of his head started to levitate behind Maul.

He replied, "Just as soon as you are."

Ezra ducked to his left, swinging the rock with the Force directly towards Maul's head. Maul responded immediately, sensing the rock, he ignited his lightsaber and cut the rock in two. Ezra then used the Force to push him onto the cave wall, Maul's body slamming hard against the rocky, dirt covered surface. He hoped that Maul would release his lightsaber in shock from impact. To his dismay, he didn't.

Regardless, Ezra threw off the old robe and sprinted for the cave entrance. He ignited his own lightsaber and started to cut at the walls of the narrow cave, loosening debris and rock; but not slowing down, even for a second. It took no more than a few moments before he heard a loud hum cutting at the air, and metal legs clattering against the ground. _Keep moving._

He continued to cut at the walls, hoping to slow Maul down or even trap him. The hum was getting louder. He was more than half way through the cave by now. He could hear the heavy, anger filled breathing behind him. The heavy breathing adding to the dark and close conditions of the cave. _Don't look back_.

He stopped cutting and used all of his energy and will to run. The dirt and dust that flew through the air did not affect him; his life was on the line, no, his friends lives were on the line. His heart was beating so fast, the Jedi thought it would explode. He was so close. _Almost there_.

He ran and he ran, fearing his heart might give out on him. His feet touched moonlight… _Now!_

Ezra swung himself around and cut straight through a two yard wide pillar of rock that sat to the right of the cave's entrance. The giant two-story rock groaned as it started descending towards the cave's entrance, falling from its own weight. Ezra landed in a low ground balanced stance, facing the cave's entrance. He looked up only to see Maul charging and mere feet from his face.

Ezra was in shock and hesitated. He was going to Force push Maul back into the cave. It was too late. He only had enough time to stand himself up before Maul jumped out and kicked Ezra square in his torso, sending him flying off the small walkway onto the canyon floor. Ezra, while in midair, tried to use the Force to cushion his fall. It worked, barely.

He landed at an angle onto the canyon floor, and the ground slipped from underneath his feet. He fell hard onto the right side of his body and was sent tumbling onto his side. After tumbling several times, he was able to stop himself and laid there, groaning in pain. Ezra opened his eyes to look around, but his vision was blurred and was unable to make out anything, even any injuries. Any wounds that he received were felt, instantly.

He could tell there was bruising all along his body, and one giant bruise immediately forming along his torso. He nearly got a concussion from the fall, and his head ached badly. He felt a cut on the edge of his right eyebrow, but all of the sweat accumulated on his face made it hard to tell if it was bleeding. Something in his chest didn't feel right either, assuming that he may have cracked a rib from the fall or Maul's cybernetic legs.

He looked up at the cave entrance to see the outcome of his plan. Ezra couldn't tell, for his vision was still blurred. He only saw the moon reflected rock-face of the canyon and the blackened night sky, all appearing as giant fuzzy color splotches. Ezra breathed quickly, and heavily, trying to get air and clear his vision.

 _I really hope Maul's still up there; trapped, or dead._

Then, he heard a muffled noise, and watched the rock face to see the giant pillar still falling upon the cave. The image was still a bit fuzzy, but it was starting to clear up. Something was wrong; it wasn't falling fast enough.

 _Why is it taking so long? It should've crashed into the cave by now..._

Then he saw the figure, the shadow. Maul was standing underneath the rock, lifting his hands up towards it, and using the Force to levitate it above himself. He seemed to struggle with the weight at first, until he saw Ezra. Despite their distance, and Ezra's blurred vision, he could feel Maul's eyes squarely upon his own. He laid frozen in terror.

Maul cried, "Why do you betray me boy!?"

He screamed aloud in rage and, with a sweeping push, flung the giant rock towards the other side of the canyon valley, flying in Ezra's direction.

Ezra watched in horror, his body completely stiff and motionless. His mind wanted to move, but his body wouldn't respond to the command. He watched helplessly as it flew ever closer, his heart pounding his chest heavily. But the rock was not aiming for him, it was aiming for something behind him.

Out of instinct, Ezra ducked his head as the pillar smashed into the adjacent canyon wall, sending giant rocks and boulders to fall off it. The rocks piled up into substantial heaps, creating a small barrier to try and block out the rest of the canyon. The pillar slammed to the ground with a booming thud, landing only a few feet behind where Ezra lay.

Maul jumped off the ledge and landed on his feet, perfectly balanced onto the ground. He slowly started to pace towards Ezra.

Ezra was still breathing heavily and he was in pain. Everything was hurting, everything was sore, but he needed to do something. If he stayed down, he knew he was as good as dead. He yelled to himself through his teeth, grinding them hard as he spoke. "Get up!"

He crawled backwards to the pillar and used its wall to pry himself off the ground. His mind was racing, he couldn't focus on what he needed to do or why. There was only one option at the moment.

 _Don't get yourself killed._

His vision had finally cleared now, and Ezra could now focus upon the eyes of Maul. Maul returned the gaze with his fiery and bloodthirsty eyes, like a predator going in for the kill. His chest started to hurt again, something was burning inside…

 _Stop it, Ezra! You're not like this, it's what he wants…_

Maul approached closer, growling like a hungry fyrnock. Ezra's pain grew stronger, his fear, his anger…

 _He hurt Kanan, he hurt my friends. He deserves to die..._

Ezra tried to snap the thought out of his head.

 _I can't. It's not what Kanan would want, it's not what Kenobi would want… But who cares what they want if they're dead. If you don't kill Maul… Then I don't… What other option is there…_

Maul was now sprinting towards the boy, his crimson blades illuminating the canyon barrier. Ezra's insides burned up like an inferno.

 _I won't give in, the Dark Side only ever brought me pain… and power… It made me do terrible things… but for good reasons… It brought me…_

He couldn't finish his thought. Maul swung his blade around to strike down Ezra, but the young padawan ignited his own and blocked Maul's blow, stumbling from impact and surprised at Maul's power. The thrust in Maul's attack sent Ezra flying from Maul's direction, scraping his face against the pillar wall and falling to his right, blood from his cut staining the rock face. The cut on his eyebrow was definitely bleeding out now, if it wasn't already doing so. He used the Force to help propel himself into the air, performing a high backflip off the ground and away from Maul, just as the former Sith came swinging at him for another blow.

Ezra landed only a few yards away from Maul, with only enough distance to recover before Maul clashed again. Maul swung a blade from his right, Ezra blocked the blow as the second blade came up from underneath Maul's left. After blocking the second blade, Ezra attempted to force push Maul into the rock pillar, but Maul got the upper hand.

Maul swung his body around and kicked Ezra's arm to the side, nearly dislocating it in the process. Ezra used the momentum of his body given to him from Maul's kick to pivot around and land a foot in Maul's torso, causing Maul to stumble no more than a yard back from the boy. Ezra came at Maul, his blade aiming for Maul's legs. Maul used his right-most blade to prevent the lightsaber from penetrating his legs, creating momentum to swing Ezra's lightsaber into the open air, and using that same momentum to sweep his leftmost blade towards Ezra's legs. Ezra jumped into the air to avoid the scorching blade, and found the opportunity he needed. He landed, stretching out his hand to Force push Maul into the fallen pillar, but his opportunity diminished as soon as it had come.

Maul clamped onto Ezra's balled up fist, catching it in midair and firmly grasping onto it. Ezra struggled under the pressure of Maul's hand, desperately trying to loosen his hold, but it wouldn't budge. His eyes grew wild and his breathing increased beyond control, his fear getting the best of him. Maul stared down the boy, his eyes beaming with ferocity but also, joy. This caught Ezra off guard, and he grew even more fearful than he was before.

"Your attempt to defeat me failed, young one. Why try to kill your own master?"

Ezra's hand started hurting, the pain brutal and gut-wrenching. He could feel the cracking in his hand, hearing small crunching noises coming from inside his body. He grunted in pain, holding back a scream. His chest hurt, a broken rib threatening to puncture his vital organs. But something else was hurting, and it was deep…

He stared Maul down as he spoke with his coarse voice. "...Y...You're...not...my...master!"

Maul looked at him in a confused matter, sarcastically remarking the child. "Are you so sure of that?"

Maul let go of Ezra's hand, but not before kicking one of the teen's legs from underneath him, sending him down to a kneeling position. Ezra looked up, a lightsaber placed in front of his neck.

"You have embraced the darkness before. Using it, you became more powerful than you could ever become as a Jedi."

Ezra could not control himself, or the Dark side, and Maul knew it. The burning pain inside was growing worse. He felt lightheaded, and his mind felt fuzzy. He never remembered what happened when he first used the Dark side. He remembered yelling, screaming, then everything went black. Then after what felt like an eternity, he woke up, dizzy and deathly cold. He felt that same dizzy feeling, his fingertips growing cold from the nighttime breeze. Was it just a breeze?

He took a shaky breath, cold sweat building up fast along his face. "I'll never give in!"

Maul released a cold chuckle, revealing that he certainly kept no good intentions for what he had in mind. He sighed, and his tone became oddly calm, looking at Ezra as if in disappointment.

"Then your friends will surely die."


	3. Torment - Part 1

**Author's note:** Thanks to RebelGirl221, eye of sparta, guest, and Rose Eclipse for all of your reviews and comments. You guys have really boosted my motivation during this difficult time of year, and I sincerely thank you for that! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and may the Force be with you. (You're going to need it).

*Mild Language Warning

* * *

A few moments earlier…

 _The fear, the anger this boy possesses without even knowing it. There is a way to make him turn, I just need to find the right, motivation._

Maul held the boy's fist in his hand, who was now both weaponless and powerless. His lightsaber lay a good distance away, and his Force push denied, again.

 _Poor boy, did the Jedi teach you nothing?_

He looked at Ezra, and saw his fear quickly growing. He looked powerless, he looked scared. No, he looked, unknowingly formed a smile, which would have already been his intention. It would confuse the child, make him more, reckless.

"Your attempt to defeat me failed, young one. Why try to kill your own master?"

Maul started adding pressure onto the boy's hand, purposely inflicting pain. He didn't want to break the boy's hand, completely, but he wanted the boy to feel pain, to let it ignite his anger.

Ezra peered into his eyes, they were full of anguish. "...Y..You're..not...my...master!"

It worked. He gave a confused look to the boy, trying to irritate him. "Are you so sure of that?"

He kicked one of the boy's legs back and let go of his hand. Maul placed his lightsaber in front of Ezra's neck, who now towered over the kneeling boy. He already held an advantage, being the more experienced Force user, but he wanted the Jedi to know who the true master of the Force was.

"You have embraced the darkness before. Using it, you became more powerful than you could ever become as a Jedi."

He was the master, and Ezra would soon stand by his side, a loyal apprentice. Ezra, a boy shrouded in darkness, with a history of pain and suffering. A boy with great potential, one the Jedi never saw fitting.

 _Pity_.

Maul's confidence grew when he felt the soft winds pick up, the Dark side was calling to him. He watched Ezra, his body seemed uneasy, appearing to be in a state of discomfort. It was taking hold of him.

Ezra picked his head up. His voice sounded strained, but strong. "I'll never give in!"

The Dark side had taken hold. He laughed out of joy, cold joy. The boy had taken hold of it without even knowing. Maul could feel the darkness radiating off of him, a spark building into a raging fire. He sighed and eyed Ezra.

 _There is one thing that may just tip him over the edge. A Jedi's greatest weakness; compassion._

He looked sadly upon the boy.

"Then your friends will surely die."

* * *

"No!"

Ezra peered at the former Sith, his insides burning like an inferno. Like a raging wildfire in the tall, dry, grassy plains of Lothal. The soft nighttime breeze was starting to pick up, growing stronger, more powerful…

" _Ezra…"_

 _Wait, who's there? Who are you?_

The faded voice sounded familiar, but it was too faint to tell. Someone, or something, was calling to him, but it was hard to tell through all the pain, the anger…

" _Ezra!"_

 _Was that… I could swear that sounded like…*Gasp._

" _Kanan!"_

Ezra's heart skipped a beat and his anger subsided. He felt a wave of comfort recognizing the presence of his own master.

" _Kanan, I'm so sorry. How'd you… I just wanted to… I'm... I couldn't…"_

He had trouble finding the words he wanted to say, his mind overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions. Ezra was so overjoyed just to hear his master's voice again. He began communicating with Kanan through the Force.

" _Kanan, I was stupid, I'm sorry. I should've listened to…_ "

" _Ezra, stop! Listen to me! Maul is taking advantage of you. Whatever you do, don't let him…"_

Ezra couldn't hear him finish, his mind was frozen in shock. There was another voice, and it was dominating Kanan's words. He could hear the voice so clearly, the man might as well just said it outloud. After all, he was standing right in front of him.

" _Saying goodbye to your friends, I see."_

Oh no. This couldn't get any worse.

Maul had noticed Ezra's head shifting back and forth aimlessly as he was mouthing breathless words. He knew the boy was up to something, and the fact that Maul was now inside his head didn't make Ezra feel any better.

Kanan's tone grew loud and threatening. _"If you lay one finger on him…"_

" _Oh Jedi, don't be so modest. The boy and I have just been practicing our... dueling abilities."_

 _Wait, Kanan could hear him too? What the heck is going on?_

Maul lifted an eyebrow towards the boy, his tone turning curious. A dark curiosity at that.

"Let's see if you can duel better with your mind than with your lightsaber."

Maul reached his hand out towards Ezra, his fingers only inches away from the Jedi's face. That's when Ezra felt it. The Dark side entering his mind, trying to break down his Force barriers. He groaned, desperately trying to hold back the darkness Maul was inflicting, Maul's mind trying to reach his own. He could feel Maul searching deep through his memories. Memories of pain, loss, loneliness. Old nightmares that would keep him up at night; yelling, screaming for comfort. Memories of fear, suffering, anguish.

Kanan could tell that something was happening, and it didn't feel good.

" _Ezra, what's going on?"_

Ezra could barely hear Kanan, he was struggling under the pressure of the Dark Side. Feelings and emotions were converging as one. His heart felt like it was nearing its physical peak, threatening to shatter into a million pieces. Voices from the past returning to him, haunting him.

" _Ezra!_ "

A man in black, crushing his throat and depleting him of air. A child: crying through the night, screaming for his parents to return home, even though they never would.

" _No_."

Screaming, yelling, crying, pain; "... _Come back!_ " more screaming, more crying, anguish, and rage. " _...Mom! ...Dad! ...No!"_

" _Ezra!..._ "

Kanan's cries of concern were now just white noise, trailing off into nothingness.

Hot tears formed on the teen's eyes and were streaming down his face.

" _No! No!_ "

Screams from the past, and screams from the re-emergence of his memories. He was breaking down in tears. His screaming now and his screams from his memories converging as one, indistinguishable from each other. He was breaking from the inside, out.

"Get out! Get the Hell out of my head!"

He couldn't even hear Kanan as he roared through the Force.

" _Get your filthy hands off my padawan!_ "

Maul paused, and pondered at the threat. He turned towards Kanan's voice from inside Ezra's mind, a sick thought ran through his head.

" _You mean, my apprentice._ "

Maul now focused his mind on Kanan's force signature, and latched onto it. Delving through Ezra's mind to reach Kanan's, he locked onto the Jedi Knight's mind and began to delve through his memories, searching for just the right one. He would have never forgotten it.

Ezra ceased to feel pain focused on his mind, but now he was sharing a part of the pain that Kanan was dealing with. He could hear Kanan's screaming through the Force, feeling useless to stop it. He was trying to block Maul's hold, trying to cut him off from his master's mind. But Maul was too strong, and he was too weak. He felt like a helpless child caught in the middle of a raging war.

He was hearing distant blaster fire; faded, but impactful. Ezra started thinking that he heard Captain Rex talking to him. He was hearing that same voice but coming from different people. Platoons and armies of droids and men were heard marching in sync, the hum of multiple lightsabers blocking and clashing at incoming trajectory. Everything was so confusing, he couldn't focus, not with the yelling, the screaming, the agony. Not with… Kanan's past returning to him.

" _Master, wait!... No!... They killed her!"_ "Stop! Agh!"

There was more pain, more agony. He couldn't fight Maul with his mind, not like this. There was a second option, but it would require focus, and a risky approach. At this point, it was the only option he had. Ezra reached out, trying to locate the Force signature of his Kyber crystal, but he kept getting pushed back into his own mind.

 _C'mon Ezra. Focus!_

He reached out in small bursts through the Force, desperately calling out, trying to pinpoint where it may be.

 _Don't try, do._

He gathered his strength and used his pain to his advantage. Ezra started to feel a pull and reached towards it. He had to keep reaching farther, and farther. He was closer, so close he could almost taste…

 _Found it_.

It was fuzzy, but it would have to do. He stretched out his hand, struggling to summon it, Maul still impressing on his mind and his master screaming in pain.

 _Focus!_

His gut was blazing like an inferno, and his fear was still ever present. He reached out and, within a few moments, heard the clattering of metal against dirt. Kanan was still being impressed upon, but he could feel a shift in the Force, and it wasn't the kind he wanted to feel.

" _E… Ezra!... W... Wait!..."_

Ezra stopped, and listened to his master's voice. He wanted to end Maul's pain right then and there. He didn't want anymore suffering, for both of them.

" _...But ...K-Kanan…."_

Kanan moaned, pushing back whatever memory that was going through his head. He was trying to tell his padawan something, forcefully grunting his words out.

" _...To...geth...er."_

He understood his master's command. They both focused their will on Maul, and were simultaneously using the Force to try and push Maul out of their minds. Hopefully, it would not be in vain.

* * *

Maul felt their shift in the Force and impressed harder upon their minds, the palm of his hand now upon Ezra's forehead, desperately looking for the one glimpse in the Force, the one memory he was looking for. If he could find the Jedi's darkest fear, his most devastating memory, then he would know how to recognize his signature, and even use it to his advantage.

The Jedi was protecting it well, too well. He could sense the last barrier he needed to break, but now both Jedi turned their focus on him in an attempt to block him out. It would be of no trouble, the only problem was finding that last straw, to have the Jedi let his guard down for even a moment would be more than enough time to retrieve his gut-wrenching memory.

Ezra, still within Maul's grasp and Force hold, gathered his strength and spoke out against the former Sith.

"D… Do what you want with me… Agh!… But leave my master alone!"

Maul felt a slight shift within the connection, the Jedi Knight wasn't expecting Ezra to say that. He let his guard down. _There you are._

Maul smirked in accomplishment. "As you wish."

With one last push in the Force, Maul retrieved the memory from Kanan, but not before the Jedi Knight wailed in pain one last time and his connection was lost.

He pulled his hand back from Bridger and stumbled back, the boy collapsing from exhaustion and falling to the desert floor. Maul looked out and saw the Jedi's lightsaber; a smile formed on his face. Despite his own exhaustion, he was not as mentally torn as the boy, and he now held an advantage over both Jedi. When to use that advantage was now his top priority. If he could manipulate their minds, he would soon find his time to exact his revenge on Kenobi; the padawan still being the key to his ultimate goal.

Ezra would awake in a few moments, but the effects of entering one's mind would not wear off quickly, especially for a Force user. A clouded mind, as the boy would have now, could be the birthplace for a powerful storm of emotions. These emotions, combined with the power of the Force, could grant one strength beyond compare. Maul eyed Ezra's face, even though the padawan could not see him.

 _Let's see how you fair now, apprentice._


	4. Torment - Part 2

**Author's Note:** Thanks to eye of sparta and Tari Silmarwen for your reviews on my last chapter, and to neonstorm854 for your comments on it! You guys are just awesome, you know that? Anyways, I wanted to thank you all for over 1,000 views on this story! I don't recall having 1,000 of anything, at least, at one consecutive time. I'm just so happy right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Before we start, there was a line in the last chapter that got cut out, and when I went back to add it in, it didn't save. For those of you wondering, it was at the beginning of the chapter when Maul is talking about Ezra. This was the original line: "He looked powerless, he looked scared. No, he looked, helpless. Maul unknowingly formed a smile…". I don't know why it didn't save, even though I hit the save button, but here you go.

Thank you so much once again, and may the Force be with you, (you're gonna need it).

*Mild Language Warning

* * *

Ezra woke up within a few moments, groggy and worn out, his head aching and his mind jumbled. It was hard to tell where he was and what he was doing. Visions and noises surrounded him, as if he was trapped inside a bottomless pit of memories. There was too much going on, he could barely tell if he was even awake or having an elongated nightmare. He felt nauseous and dizzy; that was never a good sign for anything, especially now.

Now was not the time to give in to excuses. He needed to find his surroundings and listen for something, someone, and look for help. He meekly called out through the Force, to the one person he knew could help.

" _... Kanan? Kanan? Help me..."_

He soon recognized the ringing in his ears; it sounded louder than a Star Destroyer's main engine. He started begging and pleading through the Force, afraid about what might of happened to his master.

" _Kanan, where are you? Kanan!"_

There was no response. His mind couldn't focus enough through the Force and he started to panic. His connection was weak, too weak; he could barely feel anything. Out of fear and desperation, he started crying out loud for his master, as a scared child would call out for his parents.

"Kanan! Kanan! Please, answer me!"

His mind started drawing conclusions fearing what may have happened to his master, and none of them turned out good.

Suddenly, he heard a snap and crackle ring through the air. Sluggishly and almost drunkenly, he began crawling away from the noise, skidding his knees across the dirt while doing so. He didn't know what he was doing, his only goal was to get away; to get away from whatever was trying to harm him. His mind felt like it was attacking itself, constantly throwing him to the side, knocking him down, punching at him. Flashes and images appearing and disappearing within an instant. His mind was too foggy to tell if it was him doing this to himself or if it was… _Maul_.

He turned around and saw a fuzzy image of the man, standing with his lightsaber ignited, glaring at the padawan with a beaming smile on his face. Glimpses of images still passed over his vision, making his eyesight and focus even worse. Despite this, Ezra stared him down, his voice raspy and harsh.

"What did you do?"

Maul looked at him, his body language displaying confidence and assurance, but his face telling him something different.

"What did you do to my master!?"

Ezra barely managed to pry himself up to one of his knees. His voice grew powerful and ever more threatening, despite his own hard panting. Maul was hiding something, and the teen didn't like it.

"I told you to leave him alone! All you needed was me, not him!"

Maul shook his head in disagreement. "Oh Ezra, If only you could see the bigger picture. Something Kanan is incapable of doing ever since his, incident."

Ezra's mind was incapable of thinking clearly, and his gut was intensely growing in pain. The hurt from his memories, fresh in his mind, kindling the flame burning inside of him. He somehow managed to get onto his feet.

"Don't you dare say his name you Slemo! I know you tried to kill him."

Maul chuckled at his remark. "Do you now?"

Ezra's fear and pain were converting into something sinister.

"Shut up, Maul. Don't be playing dumb with me."

"I'm afraid it is not I who has been playing dumb, Ezra Bridger."

Maul was right. It was him who said to trust Maul at the Sith temple, and it was him who thought using the Sith Holocron would be beneficial to the Rebellion and himself. Ezra could remember the guilt from that day, the same guilt that lured him to the Dark side in the first place. Now that guilt turned into pain, a stabbing pain in his heart, one which he could not rid of. He straightened himself up, then countered back at the man with his own words; his tone growing all the more intense.

"You're right, I was playing dumb, but that's because _I_ was the one who decided to put my trust in you! Now I know that you want nothing more than to see my master…", a glimpse of the Holocron piece appeared in his mind, "... and Kenobi dead!"

Maul questionably glared at him. "You don't _trust_ me anymore?"

Ezra gave back a snarling glare.

"I _never_ trusted you."

He knew that was a lie, but he felt better saying that rather than anything else. His anger was getting the best of him.

Maul stared at him disappointed, and sighed in a forceful greif. "A shame, Ezra. We could have been something."

Ezra gestured his hand, as if he was holding something within it and decided to throw it off to the side.

"We'll never be anything. I will make sure that you never come near my master or Kenobi ever again!"

Willing the Force to his command, he summoned his lightsaber towards him from where it laid in the sand. As soon as the cold metal landed into the palm of his hand, he ignited the blade and stood defensively, ready to fight. He didn't want any more trouble, any more pain. All he wanted was to end Maul's life at that very moment; for Kanan, for Kenobi… for himself.

Maul shifted his position in the sand, and looked down at his double bladed saber. He had been standing in the same position for so long, that it caught Ezra off guard. Maul's tone shifted too, from soft and friendly, to cold and vengeful.

"So, now you seek revenge?"

Ezra peered into Maul's bloodshot eyes, and watched as he seemingly glared into Maul's soul.

"I seek justice!"

Within an instant, Ezra came charging at Maul, his emerald green lightsaber illuminating the canyon walls and the nighttime breeze picking up to a slow building wind. He swung from the right, aiming for Maul's neck, but he was then blocked by Maul. His blade was pushed back, but Ezra pressed his blade on harder, then released his lightsaber from the block and shifted himself away from Maul's blade, which came crashing against the sand. Ezra then aimed for Maul's torso, swinging his lightsaber around to slice down at Maul's right. Maul blocked again, not even seeming the slightest bit surprised or challenged at Ezra's attempts to kill him.

 _He deserves to die!_

Ezra went for Maul's left shoulder, swinging his blade downward and aiming for Maul's heart. Maul blocked his blow, then pushed the padawan's blade up into the air with his hilt. With the teen off-balance, Maul swung his blade for Ezra's legs, barely grazing his left leg. A few sparks went flying as the blade touched the metal plating guarding Ezra's shin, even though the cut was no more than a few millimeters deep. Ezra wailed in pain, but the intensely heated cut did not hinder his abilities: instead, they did the exact opposite. He used this newfound pain to fuel his anger, to fuel his power, to make him defeat the former Sith once and for all.

After that, there was no thought or correlation with any his fighting and bladework. All of his swings and clashes became untrained and exaggerated, but powerful. Something was wrong and he knew it. Ezra was swinging his blade frantically; unable to tell where he was even hitting it. There was a clash on his left, another on his right, a flip and a kick, another blow. Everything became such a blur, he couldn't even tell what the heck was going on or what he was doing. He seemed to gain no control over his own body, or his own mind.

Just as Ezra tried to regain focus of his whereabouts, Maul came clashing in on his left; this time, he was put into a blade lock. Ezra struggled underneath the power and strength of Maul's blade, stumbling backwards as Maul pressed harder onto his own.

"Embrace your power boy! Use it. Feed off it."

Ezra barely contained control over his own consciousness. He was falling into darkness and didn't even know it.

"Shut up!"

The nighttime winds howled and kicked sand into Ezra's eyes, as if the entire planet was trying to kill him. He squinted from the sand and the intense brightness of the locked blades, his vision practically useless at this point. The blinding light of the lightsabers bringing back harsh and painful memories, ones of suffering and loss, but they were not his own.

He saw something in his head; the place was dark and spacious, speckled with streams of light that resembled the night sky. It was drenched in a hue of dark red, and there was an ancient structure, a temple…

 _No! It can't be. I don't want to see this!_

He tried to look straight into Maul's eyes, but he couldn't. The blades were too bright, there were too many particles of sand, too much wind, too many flashes and images. He couldn't make out the Zabraks' face.

 _Is he doing this? Why!?_

The memories came back. He saw Ahsoka standing beside him to his left, and the corpse of the fifth brother lying on the ground before him, with a fresh cut wound extending along his chest. He wasn't looking through his own eyes, nor the eyes of Maul. He saw Maul standing there, his back turned from his view; he could barely make out the muffled words that were coming from the man's mouth.

Ezra tightened his grip on his blade as he tried to block out the vision, his right hand screeching in pain from the small bone fractures within it. He was desperate to get the image out of his head, as well as making sure he wasn't cut down by Maul, who was still pressing hard upon him.

"Do you not remember what I had done for you, young Bridger?"

 _Stop! Please stop!_

His vision returned, and he felt Malacor with it. The cold air, the stillness, the death. He saw it, he saw the blade come right for his eyes, with no time to do anything about it, halted by fear. That's when he felt it. He felt the same burning pain Kanan had felt that day, as his vision turned red and all he could feel was burning. Burning, fire, and fear.

Ezra screamed and reached for his own eyes as if they had been blinded too, stumbling back and dropping his own lightsaber in the process; but there was nothing upon them. That's when Maul struck.

The next moment, he felt something hard slam into his face. There was a whooshing noise on his right and a muffled hum that followed. He saw stars and black splotches for one moment, then his whole body hit something solid and everything went black.

* * *

Ezra's limp body lay on the ground, the padawan knocked down by Maul's blow. His body laid flat upon its back with his head resting on his right. His left arm lay across his body while his right laid off to the side, away from the remainder of his body. A new cut and bruise appeared on the left side of his face, fresh blood forming thick red beads across it. A steady amount of blood was now flowing down his nostrils and out of his mouth, painting the plain canvas of desert sand with a new crimson color, dark and bold.

Maul kneeled down beside Ezra to make sure he was still breathing, placing his hand on the boy's chest and listening for any sign of a heartbeat. He feared that his last blow may have accidentally killed the child, leaving him with no one to guide him to Kenobi. A hit like that could have dislocated the brain from its stem; he would definitely be wandering the deserts for eternity looking for the old master if that were so.

It felt like hours before he finally heard the subtle beat of his heart, the fear of losing Kenobi melting away instantly. The boy was merely knocked unconscious, which was a major relief for the former Sith. Despite this, there was still a problem; the boy was decently injured.

There were at least a few wounds that were in vital need to be healed before their new journey began. The one concerning him the most was his broken rib, which he could feel was out of place when grazing his hand along Ezra's chest. The way the bone was positioned, it must have already punctured at least a few vital organs. There could be a way to fix that, but the padawan would need to be fully awake and alert in order for it to work. Hopefully, he would wake up long before the internal bleeding killed him in his sleep.

Maul stared down at him, both upset that the boy was so resistant to be swayed, but so glad for it as well. Resistance was a symbol of defiance, a way to display power and stand up against all odds. He would eventually be turned, but he needed time. The sight of his own master's blinding could build fear into him, haunting him through nightmares and brewing anger in its awakening. It could build a respect that he was the more powerful master, that Ezra may strive to become just as powerful. But it could also cause the boy to completely abandon him, leaving the former Sith with no other choice than to kill the young padawan.

For now, he was his key to reaching Kenobi, and he wouldn't want to diminish himself with such an opportunity, not when he was so close. The Master Jedi would certainly have never seen such potential within his own apprentice. Speaking of which…

* * *

Kanan pried himself off the rough ground of Atollon, his head throbbing with tremendous force. He had laid there for what seemed like hours, though it may have only been a few minutes. His temples hurt beyond control and his power was seemingly drained. He felt lightheaded and weak, but that's not what concerned him at the moment. He started calling out through the Force, his mind racing and fearful for his padawan.

" _Ezra, are you okay? Ezra!_ "

Something was wrong. He could barely feel Ezra's Force signature and he wasn't responding through the Force. Kanan fumbled for his com and was desperately calling for Ezra, fearing the worst.

"Ezra, can you hear me?! Ezra! Damn it kid, say something!"

He was so desperately trying to listen for Ezra, both through the Force and through his com-link. His teachings told him to stay calm but his heart and mind were in a frenzy of a panic.

"Com'on Ezra, don't give up on me now."

Then, he heard a small rustle through his com-link, so faint it was barely audible. The sound of dirt and rocks shifting about in his speakers brought the Jedi Knight hope. Because Ezra's com-link was attached to his wrist, that meant he was at least alive and moving, even if it was ever so subtle.

Kanan cried out through his com-link, his voice displaying both concern and hope.

"Ezra! Are you…"

His heart stopped when he received his interrupted answer.

"No, no, you are mistaken master Jedi. I am not the dear padawan you are looking for."

All hope that the Jedi had faded away within an instant. Kanan tensed and was seething with anger. Barely being able to control himself as he was, it took all of his will not to crush the com-link in his hand.

"Where's Ezra!? What the Hell did you do with him!?

He could hear a soft, cold chuckle come from the opposite com, followed by hissing, like that of a viper.

"It is not what I do with him that matters, no. It is you who decides his final fate."

"What are you talking about?"

Kanan's body tensed even more when he heard Maul speak. He could feel a rage building off the former Sith, despite being worlds away. Maul's viper-like tone grew, along with his serious temper. He hated hearing the man's voice, no, it wasn't right to even call him that. That monster was toying around with Ezra's fate as if it was nothing more than just another task to complete: just another barrier to pass, or break through.

"Listen carefully Jedi. If I catch you speaking with my apprentice…"

"That's my padawan you scum!"

"Now, now, temper Jedi. You do remember what this com-link is attached to, don't you? Now, my hand is getting tired of holding up your padawan's arm, and I may need to lighten my load. Another outburst like that my cost your padawan his hand, and the last thing you want me to do is hurt him, isn't that right?"

Kanan hated to admit it, but he would rather die and suffer all the hardships the galaxy had to offer, than to see Ezra harmed in any way. Despite not being related by blood, Ezra was like a son to him, and it was a father's first duty to watch over and protect his family. Maul was threatening the life of Ezra; his padawan, his family, his son, and he despised the monster for doing so.

Maul resumed his personal accord, his tone growing even colder and more sinister. It was now seething with so much anger that he was essentially hissing his words out.

"I will only say this once, master Jedi. Since I share a bond with your padawan, I share all of his thoughts, his feelings, and his mind. If I so much as hear a word reach out from your mind to his, I will break every bone in this boy's body, gouge out his eyes, and leave him to die in the desert sand, bleeding out of his guts. Do not _try_ to come near this system. Any presence the boy feels, I will feel the same; and if I feel so much as a sliver of your Force signature, I will cut every limb off of his body and let you listen in agony as I stab him through the heart and he cries out in insufferable pain. Do you understand, master Jedi?"

Kanan was speechless, his mind was only imagining the horror of anything happening to Ezra. He couldn't fathom what he just heard, and he knew Maul could do all that he just said. Maul was not one to fool around, and the tone in his voice just proved that all the more.

 _How did this get so bad?_

Reluctantly, Kanan responded meekly into the com-link.

"Yes."

Maul gave a slight grunt of approval.

"Very good, master Jedi. As long as you keep your word, the boy will not be harmed, at least, any more than he already is."

And with that, the transmission ended. Kanan stood there, dumbfounded and full of intense rage. Maul would never keep his promise and he knew it, but he didn't want to put Ezra's life at risk; or at least, at more risk than he was at now. He wanted to activate the com-link once more, just to see if Ezra was okay, just to see if he was even breathing: but he couldn't even have that assurance with him. After what Maul just threatened, he couldn't take that chance. Not that it would have mattered; the transmission ended with a loud crunching noise, indicating Ezra's com-link and tracker had been destroyed.

Kanan threw the comlink away from himself, so far that if he had his vision, it would be completely out of sight. He stood there in disbelief, sorrowful and regretful. He cursed at himself, he cursed at the air, at anything and everything that was surrounding him. He stood there at the border of Chopper Base, angry at himself and at the galaxy. There was no one who could help Ezra now, himself of all people, and no one who knew where on the planet he was. Nothing could hold back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

 _I should've gone with him when I had the chance._


	5. Apprehension

**Author's Note:** Sorry that I haven't posted anything in awhile. I should've warned you guys that I was going to be doing some major testing within the next month and needed to crack down on studying. Did you enjoy your near two months of suspenseful torture, because I hated leaving you guys hanging for so long. Apologies again. But hey, I guess that's why this story is under the suspense category.

Anyways, thanks again to neonstorm854, eye of sparta, and Tari Silmarwen for your reviews and comments, and to everyone else for supporting me in making this story possible. You guys are so wonderful and deserve so much more than I can provide. Also, thanks to over 2,000 views on this story so far! You guys are so amazing! I hope you enjoy the next chapter of this grand adventure, and may the Force be with you (you'll really need it).

*Mild Language Warning (and excessive mention of blood; so if you're prone to nausea from overuse of it, you've been warned).

* * *

For a long while, there was nothing but black; nothing but the darkness and the cold. The cold, the anger and fear that had been seething inside of him returned but worse than before. Before, what was before? The encounter on the asteroid? No, that seemed like an eternity ago. The Sith Temple? Closer, but still too long ago. Something happened, something bad, yet he had no recollection or clear memory of it.

Maybe it was all a terrible dream, a vision that had failed to occur or meant to display a deeper meaning. That couldn't be it either; he felt pain, like someone, or something, had been cutting at him. Something had to have happened, but what? What was this pain that ran through his body, his chest, and his mind? His mind, it felt like a war had raged and left its dirty footprints in its wake. His chest, something felt off. It felt, irregular.

Suddenly, he could feel himself gasping for air. Something was blocking his airway, though he couldn't tell what. The darkness began to fade away too, as images like lightning flashed before his mind; glances of moments filled with anger, dread, and _fear_. His throat wasn't crushing in on itself, but something was slowly killing him. He began to panic as his body screamed for air.

 _I can't breathe. I… I need…_

Ezra awoke in shock. His head shot up from lack of oxygen, only to be pulled back onto the ground from its own weight as he choked on his own blood and coughed it up in response. He was straining and gasping for air, his eyes wild and vigilant. Despite his dizziness, he was becoming aware of what had occurred just before he was knocked out, figuring that whatever injuries he received were pretty bad.

The first sense that he noticed was the smell, a substance rich in iron yet held the stench of a dying corpse. It took a few moments for him to realize he was talking about the smell of his own blood. Next he noticed the dampness in his clothes, sections of it completely soaked and sweltering, also in his blood, against his damped and clammy skin. He then noticed that his entire body felt sore and hurt; the vast amounts of cuts, bruises, and broken bones contributing to a developing pain. A beat up face, a broken hand, a new saber scar on his leg...

 _How could this get any worse?_

He regretted even thinking those words as soon as they entered his mind. There was an immeasurably intense pain coming from his chest, as he recognized the one injury he forgot about acknowledging.

 _That damn broken rib._

Ezra laid on his back, immobile. Even though he desperately wanted to move, he couldn't, in fear that he may readjust the bone and make the injury worse than it already was. If he shifted his body in the wrong direction, even the ever-most slightest, the bone could engrave itself deeper into whatever it had punctured. With no one around to help him and no med-pack to heal him, he would be left for dead.

There had to be a way out of this, there always was. When you've been living with the Ghost crew for a few years, you start to pick up on their traits and mind set; one of those being to never give up on yourself, even when you're at the point of giving in.

He tried to think of some way to get out of this situation, to find a solution to his impending problem. But despite his encouraging thoughts, there was no positive outcome that the young Jedi could conjure up. There was nothing he could do and no one around to help him. He may as well play a waiting game and see what comes first; the hungry wild beasts, the raging Sand people, or bleeding to death.

That's when he noticed the figure.

There was someone, or something, kneeling beside him. It was holding Ezra down at the shoulder with one hand while the other was on top of where his chest wound was located. The veil of darkness that shrouded the night sky made it hard to tell who, or what, this thing was. Frightened, Ezra pulled away from the shadowy figure, sending a sharp pain through his chest.

The figure's hand, which was upon Ezra's shoulder, was pushed down ever so slightly to prevent the teen from moving any further. The now realized to be man spoke softly to Ezra, attempting to sooth the young Jedi and have him focus on himself and not the teen's pain.

"Don't move. You'll only make it worse."

But the man made him want to move all the more. Ezra could only feel fear as he shifted his eye-line up from the desert sand to meet the eyes of the man, realization hitting him like a speeder bike at full capacity. He wanted to run, to run away into the darkness and hide from this monster. Even if he died while running away, at least he would know it wouldn't be by _his_ side. But there was nothing he could do except stare into his eyes and hope that he wasn't going to die at that very moment.

"Get away!", he yelled, unknowingly, to the former Sith; clenching his one good hand as the strain in his chest spiked and his breathing become sporadic. He wasn't able to tell if he was referring to Maul or to himself, only that he wanted to be separated from the man. His skin felt clammy underneath his gloves and his head became woozy. Just yelling those two words took energy away from his weakened body, precious energy that was barely keeping him alive as it was.

"Slow your breathing before you pass out again."

 _Again? What does he mean again!?_

Ezra grew restless as he lingered on Maul's statement. There was no way to tell if the man was serious about what he indicated. He could only assume it to be true.

Despite the temptation to pass out, to let go of whatever horrors that being conscious might provide him with, he decided to listen to the man's words and, reluctantly, slowed his breathing down to a somewhat steady rate. With a mildly calm mind, he analyzed his situation. Maul appeared to want to kill him earlier that night, yet now he was trying to keep him alive.

 _Why? Why try to kill me before only to need me alive in the end?_

Maybe he didn't want to admit it, but maybe Maul truly needed him to find Kenobi. If he died, then it was possible that Kenobi would be safe from the wrath of Maul. Self-sacrifice would be a good way to go out, especially when protecting someone as vital as Master Kenobi. He was sure Kanan would be proud of him, that is, if he is still alive. There was no real way to tell at the moment if his master was even conscious.

It was as if Maul had already read his mind. He glared into the boy's eyes, his self-control startling the young Jedi. "Even without you, I will discover another means to find Kenobi. There is no benefit to you if you die."

Ezra cursed underneath his breath. He hated to admit it, but the old man was right. If he were to die now, Maul would be desperate enough to find another way to search for Kenobi. He had been so keen on finding the Jedi Master that he was willing to follow even the slightest trace of the Force around him. Keeping himself alive would only make Maul's job easier.

There were now two options. He could die a noble Jedi who fought for a good cause, one which would ultimately fail in the end, or he could live and help Maul find Kenobi faster, losing what little honor he had left and willingly let Maul kill Kenobi. He was not that important to Maul, because Ezra now realized that he was expendable.

But, there could be another option; there's always another option. If he lives, he could convince Maul into trusting him and "lead" him to Kenobi. While doing so, he could buy enough time to let his injuries heal and, before they reach Kenobi, dispose of the former Sith. He knew it wasn't a very good plan, seeing that it obviously didn't work before, but it was worth a shot. Plus, he could fix any bugs within the plan later when he could actually think of a plan, without his life hanging in the balance.

A stabbing pain ran through his chest and he was brought back into reality. He coughed out a spit of blood and let it trickle down his chin, trying to ignore how warm it felt against his cooling skin.

Maul shifted his sight from Ezra's eyes to his injured rib, his hand still placed upon it despite there being no external bleeding.

"I presume you have decided to live?"

Ezra couldn't respond with a clear answer to him. He could barely move his own neck it had become so stiff, wishing he could've at least nodded. Nonetheless, he could only let out a small muffled groan and hope that Maul took that as a yes.

"A wise choice, my apprentice." Maul stated to the teen.

Apparently, he did take it as so. Ezra was glad Maul understood it as that, though it did unnerve him that he didn't just pass it off as a sarcastic neglection.

Maul drew in a large breath and sighed in despair. He shifted his weight on the sand before straightening himself and acknowledging the boy. "However, there seems to be one factor countering your decision."

 _Like that wasn't obvious enough._

His gaze ran from the wound into Ezra's eye's as a look of madness swept across the man's face, a soul beaming with eagerness and anticipation, as if what he was about to endure might be, amusing.

Ezra got a sick feeling in his stomach and was trying to figure out why, until…

When his eyes locked on with Ezra's, his tone turned dreadfully serious. "I need you to tell me exactly what the bone has punctured."

Ezra raised an eyebrow upon Maul's request as his mind filled with questions.

 _Why does he need to know? What good does he know about this sort of stuff anyway? Why should I even tell him? How does he know what to do..._

"Because I know what it's like to be upon the brink of death."

Ezra was stupefied. He knew Maul held a strong connection to him, but never something to this extent. He wasn't even using the Force, yet Maul was able to understand exactly what he said, within his own mind. Fear ran through Ezra's head, thinking back to everything that he had said to himself that night. Every plan, every sarcastic remark; every fear that ran through his mind in the course of these last few hours.

However, when Maul spoke to him again, he talked as if the event was of no relevance, as though it had never even occurred. "You're bleeding internally. We need to remove that bone from your organs before your body shuts down."

He couldn't keep his head straight after what Maul had just revealed to him. His mind turned over to what might have to be done about it as a dreadful concern darted throughout his mind.

 _Is he going to perform surgery on me?_

Anxiety hit him as his breathing quickened and his breath became shallow. His vision was starting to blur as he began to hear what he could only assume was his racing heartbeat. Each beat of his heart made his agony even worse.

Maul grabbed the back of Ezra's stiffened neck and pulled it upwards so that it was only a few inches off the ground, not wanting to worsen the wound. Sternly, he barked at the padawan, desperately trying to gain his attention.

"Look at me! What has the bone punctured?"

Ezra was losing consciousness fast, his head felt like it was spinning out of control. It was difficult to focus on anything, struggling to pry his eyes open and prevent them from rolling back into his head. He had to scream out his answers, his regular tone too weak to convey what he was saying.

"I…I don't know!"

Immediately, pain ran through his body, as if someone had come and stuck a knife through his chest. Tears were now rolling down his cheeks, his suffering and fear getting the best of him.

Maul removed his hand from Ezra's chest and reached for the boy's one good hand, placing it on top of where his own hand previously rested. Ezra's sore muscles tensed as his arm was moved, but when his hand was placed upon his broken rib, he let out a whimper, terrified now that he could feel a piece of his broken rib poking up from underneath his skin.

The former Sith placed his now free hand upon Ezra's head, the latter too weak to even resist the action. Ezra could feel the man trying to reach him through the Force, the latter hoping to get an answer from the teen. He could sense that Maul was… calming him down?

"Listen carefully, Ezra. I do not know what organ has been punctured; Dathomirians and Humans do not hold the same anatomy, so I need you to tell me what the bone has punctured."

Ezra looked at Maul, concern sweeping across his face.

"But… h-how?"

"Use the Force. Let it guide you and show you where your bone has pierced the body. Focus on the bone and it will tell you what surrounds it. Whatever is surrounding the bone is the organ it has punctured."

He didn't know why, but something in Maul's voice didn't sound like his own. He knew it was the man fair and square, but there was something off about it, and at the moment, he couldn't tell what. He decided to cast the thought aside and focus on the problem at hand. Despite his lowering blood pressure and rapid heart rate, Ezra turned his focus onto his broken rib, concentrating on its location and placement within the body.

"Tell me, what has been punctured?"

His focus, while shaky, was upon the broken bone and the surrounding tissue. His mind began to form a picture of what the injury looked like, and it didn't look good. He tried his best to explain it clearly, but his words came out slurred and disjointed.

"It-s the… l-lung. Punc…. t-tured... lung…"

Maul's face did not show concern, but Ezra could sense that the man was worried. Almost instantly, Maul reached for Ezra's shoulder and waist, pulling the teen over and laying him upon the side of his injured lung. The teen yelped in shock, but submitted to his bodily position, hoping the man knew what he was doing. It was so tempting to fall into unconsciousness and not have to endure any more pain, but he knew the he couldn't. That would run the risk of Maul finding Kenobi on his own and killing him, something he alone was trying to prevent. It took all of his willpower to not give in.

"From what I can tell, your lung is filling with blood. The only reason it hasn't collapsed from it is because of your broken rib. It appears as though it is preventing the lung from completely collapsing."

"So… what do we do?"

Hopefully, Maul took that as a sign of trust, despite him not holding any for the old man. He prayed that the inclusion of the word 'we' could imply that he in fact 'trusted him'.

"I will use the Force to keep the lung open, while you do the same to reconnect your rib."

Ezra's concerns ascended, his mind scrambling with questions that he needed answers for. Only a snippet of them were able to make it past his lips.

"But won't it… Agh!... fill with blood?"

"I can remove the excess blood from your lungs afterwards. As long as you can reposition your bone, I can keep the lung from collapsing in on itself."

Ezra decided to question the man one more time, having left the most important detail to last.

"But how will we close the wound?"

There was a long pause. Maul's expression suggested that he was in conflict within his own mind, like he was desperately trying to hold something back from the teen, afraid of what his response may be. Regardless, it shouldn't matter. He already held no real trust for Maul, so whether the man ever mentioned what he was holding back or not couldn't change his mind.

"The only way to replace the damaged tissue is by using an ancient magic once used by the Sith. I can perform the procedure while keeping your lung open, but the practice will be rendered useless unless you willingly embrace the Dark Side and allow it to heal you."

Ezra hated the idea of using the Dark side again and considered to reject the offer altogether. He knew that this plan wouldn't turn out well for him in the end, especially the fact that Maul was going to use both that and magic, as though just one or the other wouldn't suffice. There have been times where he'd use the Dark side unknowingly, but this time he would have to embrace it on purpose, again; an experience he never wished to endure ever since he was last left with Maul.

He hated this plan. He hated his pain. He hated the man who now grasped his own life within his grimy hands, someone who couldn't care less about the teen's thoughts and whose only goal was to kill anyone who stood in his way. Maul only needed Ezra to simplify his plan, not to carry it out. The man could kill him at any moment, which would only delay the inevitable.

He glared into Maul's eyes, expecting to see a false look of friendship, but his face revealed the one true aspect that the man was carrying within himself: desperation.

"Ezra, you must trust me."

Ezra was not convinced, but he didn't have much of a choice. There was no other option, not if he wanted to save Kenobi. He knew sacrifices would have to be made for the well-being of others, and giving into the Dark side may just have to be one of them.

He would put more trust into a starving Rancor than in Maul, but time was running short, and he knew Maul would need a definite answer in this situation. Cursing at himself for even taking up the offer in the first place, Ezra looked into Maul's eyes and gave a definitive nod of approval.

Maul acknowledged the teen's sign and shifted his hand slightly upwards along the boy's chest, placing it so that it was more centered to the lung.

 _This is going to hurt like Hell._

Ezra drew in a deep breath and, willing the Force, focused upon the broken off rib. His hands shook with anxiety, anticipating the agony that was to follow. He swallowed hard, absorbing any blood that was still within his mouth while his forehead beaded with sweat. He could feel Maul already using the Force to keep his lung open in preparation, for he was breathing at an excessively slower pace than normal.

 _Make it quick_ , Ezra told himself. _Get this thing done and over with_.

Unfortunately, his hopes would not come to fruition. As he began to remove the piece of bone out of his lung, he wailed in agony, for he could feel blood start to rush into the organ, making his breathing all the worse. The surrounding tissue was burning in pain, so much that he nearly passed out from it. The only thing that seemed to keep him breathing was the fact that Maul was there to create a steady momentum of air to run through his lung.

His momentum of air was constantly interrupted by coughing fits, each time releasing blood that had gathered within his lung. The bleeding became worse, fresh trails of blood overlapping the already dried up streaks along his face, running down in rivers and onto the sand that was nearly black from its constant flow. Ezra could feel himself drowning in his own blood, the once nearly clear passageway in his throat was now nearly and completely blocked. He began to panic again as the fear of death embraced him.

 _You're almost there, Ezra._

For a while, he couldn't tell where these words of encouragement came from or who spoke them; but right now, that didn't matter. Nothing mattered except keeping himself alive, and he sure as hell wasn't going to die to a stupid broken bone.

All that he could feel was his misery, this torment that enveloped his entire body and soul. He didn't want to use the Dark side, to let his anger and hate cloud his better judgement, but there was no time for Ezra to relax himself and find peace. He carried too much stress with his pain, and stopping everything he was doing to search for inter peace would take more time than he had with him. He closed his eyes and settled inside his mind, allowing the bitterness to swell within him.

Despite his clouded mind, Ezra turned once more to where his master's Force signature would have been, dreading what Kanan might have said, if he even heard him at this point. A single hot tear streamed down the side of his chilled face, splashing down onto the red colored sand; disappearing as it dispersed amongst the sea of blood.

 _Forgive me, Kanan._

Using the pain and anger agitated from his injuries, he concentrated on his bone and, applying extreme caution, maneuvered the broken bone to attach it to the remaining rib. The two pieces grated slightly as he reattached it, causing Ezra to squirm in discomfort. He could feel the pressure increasing on the outside of his lung, just as Maul enhanced the influence of the Force within the organ, providing the teen with much needed oxygen. He clenched his fist hard enough to the point where it lost all feeling, leaving his clammy skin white-knuckled and lifeless.

He gasped hard, determined to not let himself pass out from forgetting to replenish his lungs with air. The anger swelled, it drove him to stay alive. The pain was just another reminder of his own mistakes, mistakes which would not lead to the end of him.

With one last push, he closed his eyes shut and connected the broken bone to the rib, crying out in anguish but also, relief. He held the bone in place as a mysterious energy enveloped within him. The Dark Side.

He could feel as the Force wrapped around his bones and muscles, beginning to mend them; rebuilding the pieces that had been broken throughout his entire body. Its power cloaked Ezra in an uneasy state of rest, if there was a way to describe it. He was obviously in a high state of stress, but the darkness seemed to comfort him in this time of suffering. That was probably both really good and really bad.

Within a few moments, the once broken rib had been restored and his lung mended. He coughed up what blood he could from his lungs as Maul assisted in the process, using the Force to guide the blood out of Ezra's lungs and out of his mouth, granting it to rest upon the desert sand. While Ezra knew there were other wounds throughout his body, those were the only vital ones. The other injuries could wait. There was no clear way to describe the relief that he felt at that moment in time. He was glad that what needed to be done had been done, his mind at ease for the first time that entire night. Ezra was content knowing he would survive this trial.

 _It's over._

Ezra was satisfied with their quick recovery and, for one final time that night, fell into unconsciousness, but this time, on his own terms. It had been a long night, and he ultimately allowed exhaustion to take its hold. Everything soon became a blur. Maul was still there looming over him, using the Dark Side to restore his remaining wounds, but that didn't matter, nothing mattered; he was healed. He would survive. He could still save Master Kenobi.

Ezra observed the twinkling stars above as they faded away into darkness, all burning out like candle sticks on a blustery night. He lay his head back to rest upon the rough sand, before completely enveloping inside the darkness of his mind. He didn't care what nightmares awaited him in his sleep.

 _I will save you Master Kenobi, I swear..._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Again, huge apologies for not warning you guys ahead of time. Who knew that Summer Break would be even busier than School? Plus, I honestly needed a break from everything for a while until I got my head on straight. Anyways… so yeah, I had to do some research for this chapter before writing it. I know that it is Fan-fiction, but I wanted to make the situation as real as possible. So what Ezra was experiencing, or starting to experience, were the symptoms of Hemothorax, a situation where when the lung is pierced, blood fills around the organ. When someone is experiencing this, you are supposed to turn them on their side, with the injured lung on the side closest to the ground. This is done to help keep the lung open and prevent a complete collapse. Hopefully, I wrote it as accurately as possible. Also, Sith magic is apparently a thing in Legends. Was it from legends, yes; but as we know, "There's always a bit of truth in legends" (Ahsoka Tano, Rebels). This magic also included the power to heal and restore (convenient right?).

Now that this summer seems to be going crazy, I don't know when my next post will be. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT done with this story, it's just really hard to get it from my mind onto digital paper, if you know what I mean. If you guys want to hear the full scoop on why I was having trouble writing, just PM me. I say that it's optional because the reasoning is very personal and I don't want you guys to read it if you didn't want to. Don't feel obligated, but don't feel like you're intruding on my personal life either. After such a long pause after a pretty good-running schedule, you guys deserve a better answer. Plus, it'd be kind of weird to just post my life story on the internet for ALL to see, right? Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as I anticipate to get back to a working schedule ASAP, (though I don't know what that schedule will be as of yet).


	6. Repentance

**Author's Note:** *Heavenly music plays. I have been enlightened. Hello fellow readers, sorry about the hiatus, but I've been using this past month or so to gain a greater insight on how to read and write literature. I've actually been reading this book titled "How to Read Literature Like a Professor", and it has provided me with a wonderful outlook on literature as a whole. Anyways, a bit of a slower chapter to get you guys back into gears. Slower, but by no means boring. I hope you guys enjoy, and may the Force be with you (it's necessary at this point).

Also, thanks for over 3,000 views on this story! You are all so very kind.

*Mild Language Warning

* * *

It had been almost an hour since the base's mandatory check in, and half of the specters failed to report in. Zeb had been sent out a half hour ago to go and search for their lost crew members, assuming they were still on base. He found it common to have Chopper run off and do his own thing, but never Kanan or Ezra, especially without any notification. Though the worn Jedi Knight was prone to seclude himself from time to time, it was not in his character to completely ignore a required check in.

What concerned the Lasat most was Ezra. Ever since his last talk with the commanders, he was obviously very keen on finding that old Jedi master he had seen in the Holocron. No one was sure that the old Jedi was even alive, which heightened his suspension all the more when a report came in of an A-Wing taking off without authorization. He really hoped it wasn't Ezra, though the teen's past did not support his optimism on the situation.

It took a while, but eventually he was on his way to the opposite side of the base, relative to where he started searching in the first place. He soon saw a figure in the distance, but as he approached it, he began to hear a strange noise emanate from it. It took a while for him to realize that whoever it could be was wailing, and it took him just a few moments more for him to realize who it was.

The answer stunned him.

* * *

"I should have stopped him. Why didn't I? WHY didn't I?!"

Despite his inability to produce tears, his face could still form the red swollen puffiness that came from someone experiencing tragedy. Wails and screams still rang through his head, while his body remained in perpetual grief, shaking from lost energy and fear for his padawan. It broke his heart, which now felt as though it had been shattered into a million pieces with no way to mend it, not without the reassurance that Ezra would be okay when in truth, he wasn't one bit.

He had tried so hard to stay true to his Jedi teachings and not give in to his emotions, but now he couldn't; for whatever contrived reason, he simply couldn't control his own feelings. Ezra and he have been through much in their past and on countless occasions, escaped the clutches of death; whether it had been the Empire, pirates, or savage bloodthirsty creatures. But in every single one of those instances, there would always be a plan, a protocol, or someone else there to assist him when he was in trouble. There was no one this time. No plan, no aid, no assistance, no escape. He was truly on his own.

There was no way to protect him from the predator that prowled at his every move. And he hated the creature for it.

"That _thing_ can go rot in Hell for all I care!"

Before long though, he felt a hefty furry hand rest upon his shoulder. The act didn't have any positive effect on his condition; in fact, it may have made it worse.

"Karabast." the older Jedi heard the alien mutter under his breath. "Kanan…" the Lasat stumbled out, "What happened to you?"

* * *

Kanan leaned up against the holotable, staring blankly into its glowing center while trying not to focus on anything. Beside his right stood Hera, who had just finished gathering the highest ranking officers currently on base to discuss the impending matter of Ezra's disappearance. Zeb stood to his left, his breathing heavy and body smelling of sweat, as though he had ran a marathon. Who could blame him?

It was he who found Kanan alone at the edge of Chopper Base when the Jedi had not reported in. When Zeb first saw Kanan, he was in terrible condition. He was on his hands and knees, striking his fists against the ground while uttering some of the worst language the Lasat had ever heard, even for his standards. Kanan's typically slicked back and well kept hair was a mess, sections of it completely removed from the grip of his ponytail. His face was red and swollen as if he had been crying. The captain had never seen Kanan in such discontent, and the event took him by surprise.

It took Zeb a while to calm down the Jedi, or at least enough so that he could drag him back to headquarters, literally. The man was so drained of energy that he could barely walk. Once he had arrived at the head table, he informed Hera the best of what he could imply from the situation, not being able to explain much. That's when she started calling over the Rebel officers to discuss their situation and end up where they are now.

The only officers present at the table besides the Spectres were Commander Sato and Captain Rex. Any other officers were either off on missions of their own or tending to other important matters or business.

Kanan felt embarrassed for acting so rashly. Despite his actions, he was glad Zeb didn't go into detail discussing his condition, the Captain stating that "He was just having a rough time". The thought made him feel better, but only in the slightest way possible.

He couldn't remove himself from thinking about Ezra and the terrible condition he last felt the teen in. Maul's vicious threat still loomed in his head and would refuse to leave, constantly repeating itself and repaying unwanted visits. Not only Maul's threats, but the words of his own padawan, the screams of pain and agony that followed his cut transmission rippled through their bond. He heard as Ezra's voice grew meek within their connection through the Force, uttering three words that he prayed weren't his last, before his entire signature enveloped into darkness.

" _Forgive me, Kanan."_

That was the last time he could truly feel Ezra. He knew he wasn't dead, but the snap within their connection signified that whatever happened to him could have been just as bad.

He could still feel some of his student's pain lingering within him...

Hera called out for Kanan and was brought back into reality, ready to discuss a mission plan to rescue his padawan. He was eager to get Ezra back and out of harm's way, willing to do whatever it took to retrieve their lost specter. The only problem he had was keeping his emotions under control.

"Kanan, what happened out there?"

There was so much that he needed to say, so much that he had to explain and comprehend, but right now, it was hard to even speak. He didn't want to talk about what happened, he didn't want to describe what he saw, or what he felt. The thought of shedding light on those memories and feelings made his skin crawl. It was hard to tell if Hera was referring to himself or to Ezra, but he figured that she'd want to hear the full story. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing only on what needed to be said and nothing more. He couldn't let emotions drive his thoughts. He concentrated, searching for the right words to say.

"It was Ezra. There was a disturbance within our connection, one that I had not felt since…"

He trailed off, took in another breath, and began again. He subsided any foul memories that tried to emerge from inside his mind. Now was not the time for a sob story. He said it bluntly and clear.

"He found him... Maul found Ezra."

An almost whispering gasp was heard from amongst the group, and Kanan was certain that it came from the two standing directly beside either side of him. He continued on.

"They are both on Tatooine, looking for who I can only assume to be Master Kenobi."

Kanan felt someone at the table shift their weight and exhale in a deep breath. He soon figured out that it was Captain Rex, as he could feel guilt radiate off the man, in both his stature and tone of voice.

"I thought the old general was dead." The old clone let out a hefty sigh. "Damn fool I was to think the kid would let this matter go so easily."

Kanan glanced up towards Rex's Force signature, resent filling within his own eyes.

"It's not your fault, Rex. We all knew that Ezra was desperate to find Kenobi. He held on so much hope that he may still be alive, that he took the first trace he got at finding him and ran with it." He felt a pang in his heart. He clenched his jaw and squinted his eyebrows together, so close that they nearly touched one another. "If anyone is to blame, it was me for not talking better sense into him."

Zeb stepped up and attempted to give leeway to the already weary Jedi.

"Kanan, we all know that even if you did try to talk more sense into the kid, it still wouldn't get through his thick skull. You know how Ezra is."

Hera walked up and put her hand upon Kanan's shoulder, the Jedi welcoming the small act of comfort.

"He's right Kanan. Ezra decided to take on this task. It was his decision and his alone, there was nothing we could have done to change his mind. He knew the risks that he was making and would make doing so."

Kanan felt uneasy and backed away from Hera's grasp. He looked up onto where her face would have been, his own face forming the despair that rang through his heart.

"So, what should we do now?"

Zeb, the most optimistic of the bunch, was the first to provide a suggestion for retrieval.

"Well obviously a rescue mission. We can grab the Ghost, sneak onto the planet's surface, pick up the kid and leave."

Kanan shook his head in displeasure. "I wish it was that simple. Maul knows we'd plan a rescue and threatened Ezra's life on it."

Zeb stared at the blind Jedi. "So? He's done that before. As long as we can sneak past the scopes, I'm sure we can grab him before the dark wizard notices."

Kanan's heart sank as when he listened to the Lasat's flawed plan. "No, we can't. Maul knows my signature."

"Your what now?"

"My Force signature. It means I can't sneak onto the planet without Maul noticing. It's likely that he knows all of your signatures as well, so I can't risk sending any of you to help him."

Unfortunately, the opposing commanders did not share the same optimism that Zeb had.

Commander Sato, who had remained quiet since the meeting began, spoke to the Jedi Knight with dismay. The Commander could already feel sorrow for what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry Kanan, but under these circumstances, we cannot perform a rescue mission for Lieutenant Bridger from his current predicament."

"What! Why?"

"As Captain Syndulla explained, Ezra took on this mission alone. He was not authorized any permission to do so, thus any aid brought to him would only suit his personal undertaking, not to the benefit of the Rebel Alliance.

"Not to the benefit!?" Kanan began, reiterating Sato's words to derisively mimic the Commander. "Do you have any idea how much he has helped us to form this Alliance? Without him, there may not have been an Alliance to begin with!"

"I understand your concerns and reasoning, but that is the danger Bridger faced when he departed this base without clearance. Performing a rescue mission at this time would cut off assistance needed to make our attack on Lothal, an event which we cannot delay any longer. I'm sorry, I truly wish there was something more we could do."

Kanan's heart was filled with rage, the implication of hearing his own padawan's torment was causing him to think irrationally. He stared down the commander, readying himself to pounce at the man who was denying a rescue of one of their own officers. He wouldn't stand a chance, no, Ezra couldn't stand a chance against Maul, he was far too inexperienced and unprepared to even hope for any odds against that monster. And this man was willing to let Ezra die.

Zeb reached out and grabbed Kanan yanking him back, just as the latter was about to lunge at the commander. Something didn't feel right in him, and the Jedi knew it. He didn't know what, how, or why, but the reality of what he attempted to do made him feel queasy and sick.

 _Kanan, what are you doing? You nearly attacked Sato out of rage. You let your emotions control your actions, and that is not the Jedi way._

Kanan gasped and stepped back, the Lasat releasing the Jedi from his hold. His head soaked with a cold sweat.

"I… I'm sorry. It's just that... I need a minute."

He turned away, leaving the Commander and the holotable, walking off into the distance. As he paced away from the table, he contemplated what he had just attempted to do. It was never like him to attack another individual so rashly. It was possible that the stress of the situation was getting to him and affecting him more than he expected, unless something happened during his connection to Ezra and Maul.

 _That voice... Could Maul have something to do with these outbursts?_

However he looked at it, the former Sith had everything to do with what was going on now. His anger, his pain, his resent for the man who held his padawan's life in his sleazy hands.

He soon found himself to be quite distanced from the commanders, and thus proceed to stop and take in his surroundings. He could feel an arid, dry breeze passing by, causing his loosened hairs to sail in its passing current. He took the opportunity to settle himself and do his best to reconnect with the Force.

* * *

After a few minutes, Hera left the holotable to check on the weary Jedi Knight. It was never like Kanan to act so rashly, so whatever the first specter experienced must have been beyond even her comprehension. Hera was no Jedi, but she knew that every Jedi, Sith, and Force user had some sort of connection with each other, an entirely different and unusual sense that not all beings knew how to yield or understand. However, she didn't have to be a Jedi to know that Kanan was more than just upset. How could she blame him?

Her face could be hard to read most of the time, but unlike most circumstances, her face displayed her worry. She cared deeply for everyone in her crew, especially their two youngest members. Whether Sabean would ever return to them or not, she was still considered a part of her crew. But unlike Sabean, who was currently in the care of her Mandalorian family, Ezra did not have anyone to protect him now. He was stuck with Maul, and that terrified her beyond belief.

As she paced towards the Jedi Knight, she could see it in his body language. His shoulders were hunched over, his legs tense and shockingly still. His breathing was hefty and awkward while his arms quivered. He was facing away from her, but she did not need the Force to tell her that his face would only show deep concern and dread.

By the time she reached him, he didn't slow down his reaction. Most of the time, he seemed to sense any nearby presence and subside his feelings, but this time, he did nothing to stop them. Even though her and Kanan shared a close bond with each other, more often than not, he would do this out of habit. Now it was as if he didn't care what anyone saw, probably because he tried to lunge at Commander Sato from across the holotable, showing that this was how emotionally unstable he had become, that nothing could have possibly been worse than that incident.

She reached out to place her hand on his shoulder, but something made her stop. She left her hand stationary in midair, debating whether or not to approach him further. Eventually, she let her hand fall to her side, exhaling a breath that she held for what felt like hours. The captain stood silent for a long while, her thoughts conflicting with herself and in constant disagreement. She had no idea what to do; to scold him, comfort him, or talk to him. She needed to say something.

When Kanan finally spoke, Hera flinched, expecting that she would be the first to eventually speak.

"Hera, I'm…"

"No. Don't you dare say it Kanan."

Her voice came out harsher than she intended, but she also knew that cooing the Jedi would only make his condition worse. If she was not upfront with him, he would seclude himself from everyone and everything. She hated being so stern with him after seeing how distressed he was, but this was the only way she could get through his emotional barriers.

She felt horrible for Kanan, and no doubt he might feel worse once she revealed him what she was about to explain, but it was something that desperately needed to be said. She drew in a deep breath.

"A few years ago, when you were held prisoner by the Empire and sent to Mustafar, I was given orders to not rescue you. I didn't like the orders at all, I flat out disagreed with them, but I decided to obey them. It broke my heart to know that I… that we couldn't save you."

Kanan slowly turned himself around to reveal his face. His eyes were full of both sorrow and content. His mask was no longer on, leaving his eyes exposed to the arid atmosphere. His expression revealed a deep sorrow, yes, but also something else, a factor that she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"It was never my idea to rescue you... it was Ezra's."

Kanan seemed to be paying more keen attention, cautiously listening to Hera's confession. She obviously had trouble speaking out her next words.

"He's the one who convinced us to do it. Unfortunately, it took the rest of the crew for me to recognize that saving your life was more important than following orders."

She turned her face away, gritting her teeth to prevent an outpour of tears, something that even she was unknown for doing.

"I should have told you sooner, but every time I thought of it, I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I hate that it took this long, and that it took this incident for me to finally tell you. I'm sorry Kanan."

The two of them stood there for a long while, neither saying anything nor making any attempt to come to each other. The air felt deathly still as the two contemplated what they wanted to do or what they wanted to say. A soft breeze blew by, wrapping around their bodies in an invisible sheet, trying to put the pair at ease.

Eventually, Kanan reached out his hand and put it upon Hera's shoulder. She couldn't describe it, but she could somehow feel the grief radiating from the man. Not only that, but courage, sorrow, and strength.

"We'll get Ezra back", the Jedi Knight said vigorously, "whether we obey orders or not."

Despite his terrible condition and poignant state, something in his eyes told her that he was not going to succumb to his feelings. Hera had confirmed her thoughts within that very moment.

The man had finally come to his senses. She didn't know how or why it didn't take him very long to do so, but she was glad regardless. For now, Hera allowed herself a small grin, satisfied to know that Kanan had snapped out if his heated state.

"But I'm not going, nor should we send any of you."

Hera crossed her arms and gave a questioning glare.

"So", she asked, "what do you have in mind?"

"A droid. Jedi and Sith alike can't sense droids because they do not possess the Force. We can send one in a ship to do a pickup, the only problem is tracking Ezra and hoping that he gains an opening so that he can escape."

"We can send in Chopper in the Phantom II. All you have to do is tell him where Ezra is."

"How do you expect me to do that?"

"Kanan, you're a Jedi. You're the one who always told me how close the bond is between a Jedi and their padawan. I'm sure that no matter how far Ezra is shrouded from you, that you will figure a way to find him."

For the first time that day, Kanan was at peace. Hera could tell by not only the look on his face, but the way he felt as well. She hadn't even noticed how her hand removed itself from her side and was now placed upon his shoulder, which is how she felt him relax only a few moments after doing so. His once tense muscles had eased themselves and were finally letting serenity take hold.

"Thank you Hera."

She gave a small smile to him in response. It filled her with joy to see Kanan at ease with himself. She turned her attention back to the base itself.

"Now, let's see where that old C1 droid ran off to this time."

The Jedi Knight looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean? I thought he was with you."


	7. Compromise

**Author's Note** : Thanks to FossilQueen1984, neonstorm854, and Rose Eclipse on your reviews and comments on my last chapter. Also, special thanks to Kar'tayl-Cuyir-Dral, Tari Silmarwen, Razzle162, and again to neonstorm854 and Rose Eclipse for your reviews and comments on the previous chapter (sorry that I forgot to mention you guys in the last chapter. I hope that you'll forgive me for that).

So yeah, just expect the whole "going into hiatus without warning thing" to be normal. I meant for this chapter to be up a few months ago, but there was a lot I wanted to revise, edit, and rewrite. I've also been in the process of developing my own original comic series, so I haven't had much time for fan works. Regardless, I still want to finish this story because it's a story worth telling (once it's done you'll see what I mean). Thank you for understanding and enjoy!

*No mild language (unless you consider the alternate word for donkey to be bad, otherwise you're good).

* * *

Dawn was breaking on the desert planet, the rays from the first of the two binary suns just peeking over the horizon. The desert plains provided a clear view of the crawling sunrise, its glistening streaks illuminating the opposing canyon surface in bright shades of orange and yellow. Though he could not feel it physically, the old C1 droid could tell that the air was warming up, a few of his gears that nearly froze from the night before were functioning again, giving him more mobility as he circled around the rough landscape that the canyon created. He had not heard back from Ezra since their departure, yet he kept heading in the direction of a nearby ship, which was one of the only things he could still do since he wasn't able to follow Ezra onto the canyon tops. From what he could tell, the ship was not atop the canyon walls, which was a good sign, considering that his jet-pack was disabled and thus useless. He was grateful that at the very least, he wasn't lost.

It had been too long to not hear a word from Ezra, and for the first time in a long while, Chopper began to worry about the fate of the sixth spectre. He knew humans to be quite odd, sometimes even stupid, but only with good reason. If Ezra was going to go quiet, he would've let the old astromech know, or maybe he wouldn't have. He knew Ezra to be quite the talker, but in some circumstances, he would be so quiet he could sneak up behind another spectre and scare them. Humans are quite an odd species to say the least. But since he wanted his gears to defrost in the rising sun, he decided that he would stop to contact Bridger and ask what was going on; the only problem was, his line wasn't connected.

For whatever reason, whenever he tried to contact him, the signal to Bridger's com-link would show up as "disabled". He figured the line was either jammed or blocked entirely, but his data couldn't provide any additional information other than that.

The first sun was nearly halfway above the horizon, shedding more light onto the frigid metal of the outmoded droid. Chopper, now with more mobile gears and mechanical limbs, considered going back for Ezra and see what was really going on. He knew that the so-called Jedi was stupid enough to run after Maul on his own, but unlike most life-forms, he knew how to wield a lightsaber, so at least he had that going for him.

 _But what if he was in trouble? What if he dropped his blade and it got lost in the canyon, then what? What if he was caught by Maul? What if he was dead?_

Chopper checked his data for the location of Ezra on his scopes, but they were also blank. Whatever happened to his com-link must have happened to his tracker as well. So far, this was not turning out as properly as he had hoped it would be, and now with no ship, pilot, or any idea of what was going on, he found himself caught within his own terminal programing, trapped between the endless and barren desert plains and the rugged, winding canyon walls.

He could contact the rest of the crew and ask for help, but he was sure to get a scolding from all of them, especially Hera. There was no way to escape the wrath of Hera in a bad mood. No, he didn't need to contact them. As long as he came back with Ezra alive he would be fine…

A loud beeping rang through his terminals, and a notice appeared on his screen that someone was trying to contact him. He allowed the transmission to come through, thinking it might be Ezra on the other side.

Chopper was surprised for a moment to not hear the teen in the transmission. Instead, what he heard was the voice of the life-form he didn't want to hear from.

"Chopper, where in the galaxy are you!?"

It was Hera, of course it was Hera, it couldn't be anyone else in the galaxy, it just had to be her. The C1 droid mimicked a mechanical version of a sigh, expecting a scolding from the Twi'lek pilot as soon as he revealed where he actually was. He replied with several beeps and whistles that translated into his location.

"Wait, you're also on Tatooine? Is Ezra with you?"

He hesitated for a few seconds before he answered his master's questions. Of course everything went downhill for Ezra, just like he had said himself. He even felt a bit sorry for Hera, especially from the way she asked if Ezra was with him. He reiterated what Ezra had told him back to the captain.

"He told you to go find a ship? What happened to the A-Wing _he_ took?"

He unwillingly explained how the A-Wing blew up and that they were attacked by sand people, via his conjoined robotic language.

He expected Hera to release her anger upon him, to scold the droid for disobeying orders and destroying others property. What he got instead surprised him.

"Okay Chop, I need you to get to a ship and find Ezra."

He gave some beeps and groans in protest complaining about why they weren't helping him do this mission, and how he was already looking for a ship ever since he and Ezra split up.

"Of course you're not doing this on your own. Kanan will help and tell you where to go."

The old astromech moaned in frustration.

 _Why are humans always so demanding?_

"Chopper, we need you to do this. Maul has Ezra and we need you to rescue him."

Though Chopper was well prepared for locating a ship, he was not expecting to be doing a rescue mission too. The fact that Maul had Ezra made the droid's gears rattle. It certainly wasn't a happy thought, but considering his own predicament and Hera's tone, he decided to go along with her laid out plan. The droid responded with his decision. The life-form acknowledged his statement with her own.

"Good luck Chop, and may the Force be with you."

* * *

 _Well, this day has gotten off to a_ _great start._

 _What? Where am I..._

 _...No...not again… Not again!_

 _Kanan? Is that… no. It can't be._

 _Get away from him!_

 _I don't want to see this._

 _Let me go!_

 _Stop it!_

 _Not again! Not again!_

 _NO!_

 _Enough! Please! I've seen enough. Just let me go._

His nightmare faded away and left him to wake in a blinding white light. Ezra opened his drowsy and sleep deprived eyes to sunlight so bright that he thought he was inside the core of a star. It was still early in the morning, yet the light was just as intense as if it were midday. Everything seemed fuzzy, as if he were still dreaming.

 _Where am I?_

Ezra's head was propped up against a boulder, his eyes high enough above ground to see a freshly made dirt trail extending from his legs off to somewhere far beyond his current vision, deep within a canyon maze. He also took note of his clothes, which were now sticking to his body from being drenched with sweat and blood. Areas that had been damaged, torn, or bloodied had caused irritation to the skin underneath, making his predicament all the more uncomfortable.

His craving for water was overwhelming. The arid, dry air didn't help is parched throat, neither did his cracked lips and blood-dried skin. Tasting what seemed to be cotton, Ezra began reaching for his mouth, and soon realized it was only the taste of his swollen tongue. His face stung with all of his obtained cuts. Every bone and muscle in his body was aching, including his lungs, which felt like they were run thin. His head pounded with such ferocity like a stampede was raging within his skull. His legs were as stiff as wooden planks, and an intense pressure, much like a boulder, felt like it was upon his chest, causing his breathing to take more effort than normal.

 _I, I feel so… cold._

Despite the unbearable heat of the twin suns towering above him, not to mention the sizzling air radiating from the ground underneath himself, Ezra felt nothing but cold. He could still feel the baking heat within the surrounding atmosphere, cooking him, yet on the inside, he was freezing to death. He hoped that the rising suns would aid in ridding of the frigid feeling, but it was so intense that the Jedi could feel it crushing himself.

 _There's something familiar about this… but what?_

Ezra continued to lay and observe his surroundings before something caught his eye and he recognized where he was, and that his mission was far from over. There was a small rocky overpass that blocked half of his vision. He was not inside the overpass, but lay just outside of it. As he focused his eyes on the inside of the natural structure, darkened by the sunlight's shadow, he saw the figure, and his heart once again filled with the familiar feeling of rage.

 _Maul!_

The teen shot his head upwards as beside him sat the man he had meant to kill. He groaned from the sudden movement and released his head back to gravity to ease the pain. His breathing spiked from shock.

"Take it slow. You need to account for your loss of blood and energy."

Ezra scoffed at his remark. There was so much that he wanted to spit out at Maul, but his depleted water intake would cause his words to come out hoarse and raspy, stripped of any moisture, making his already inflamed voice all the worse. It would prove difficult to even speak a few sentences. He coughed to clear his throat.

"What do you want Maul?"

"You know exactly what I want. What I hope to have you do is help me carry it out."

The teen huffed at his response. "Yeah, and lose my one chance at saving the galaxy? Not happening."

"Ezra, you still don't see the bigger picture here, do you?"

"No, I can see it just fine. Problem is…" he swallowed hard in an attempt to receive more moisture, "your vision doesn't exactly line up with mine."

"Then for what other reason would I have both saved and spared your life?"

Ezra clenched his hand upon his rib and recalled the night before. He felt like an idiot that he had not thought about it sooner. Maybe it was because the spot still carried a lingering pain. He didn't know why the rib would still hurt if it was indeed "fully healed", but there was not much that he could do about it at the moment.

He noticed a similar pain within his right hand, only unlike the rib, he could tell that it was still broken.

"You lost consciousness during the healing process."

The Jedi gave a half-assed attempt at an annoyed chuckle. He looked over his damaged hand.

"I know that, thank you."

Ezra's sarcasm didn't seem to please the former Sith, nor did he intend for it to do so. He honestly didn't know what he was doing. His actions could have very well ended his life within a moment's time, but he couldn't help himself to try and get back at Maul after what he had done, even if he had indeed "saved" his life.

He clutched his right hand within his left, proceeding with caution to not injure it any further. Ezra ran his fingers across the back of his hand, feeling for the bone fractures that he was certain were there. It didn't take long for him to find at least three.

"You know, if you allow some more time to rest, I'm sure we could finish with that hand."

"No thanks," the Jedi replied speculatively, "I'm good."

Ezra's eyes shifted from his right hand to his left when he noticed that something felt off. His peripheral vision picked up the change before he could focus on it, regardless, he could see that his comlink was gravely damaged.

 _I don't remember smashing it. When did that happen?_

He pushed his upper body onto the rock using his left forearm to get off the ground. He instinctively groaned as he shifted his body onto the rougher surface that was used as his sorry excuse for a pillow. The added bonus of his sore muscles and aching bones did not make for a decent sleep, nor recovery.

Glancing over his body, he realized that his blaster was missing from its holster. The same could be said for his Lightsaber.

"Your weapons? You will get them back in time, once I am reassured that _I_ can trust _you_."

 _Blast it!_

Ezra was really hoping that the Sith surgery from the night before would have helped mend his trust with Maul. Granted, he did try to kill the former Sith at least two times within the span of one night. He guessed anyone who had any sense whatsoever would now have some trust issues after pulling something as reckless as that.

Maul got up and paced towards Ezra, offering his hand to the padawan. The young Jedi eyed his hand cautiously, certain at what the man intended to do. He shook his head and glared into the alien's eyes.

"Not unless you promise me something."

Maul retracted his hand and eyed the padawan. He didn't seem to be taking the teen seriously, his posture was far too at ease to hold any accountability for the Jedi's desired request.

"I don't think you're in a position to do so. But if you insist…"

"If we find Kenobi, you allow him to tell me how to destroy the Sith."

The man lifted a brow upon the request, his demeanor alive with curiosity.

"And once he has told you?"

Ezra swallowed hard and turned away, disgusted at what he was about to say. He knew better than to make deals with mad men, but there was no other way to convince Maul that he would help him. It made him sick. He clasped his eyes and grit his teeth as his words exhaled in a deep whisper, almost and barely audible.

"Then you can have your revenge on him."

Maul appeared to ponder at the thought for a moment.

"How about this." the Dathomirian suggested, "You may ask him your question, and I let him live."

Ezra eyed him, cautiously.

"What's the catch?"

"That you become my apprentice, _permanently_."

 _An apprentice, his apprentice, forever? This is wrong, this is all wrong. It's too much to ask for, then again, Kenobi would be safe, right?_

 _No, he wouldn't. Maul never kept true to his deals, except when they dealt with Maul's life or my own. But his life was isn't the one being bargained for. Is it worth a shot? Well, it's both Kenobi lives and I become Maul's apprentice, or he dies for sure and maybe I make it out alive afterwards. But he was soon keen on killing Kenobi, and now he's throwing that away? Either way, it's hard to make such a life changing decision when he's standing right on top of you._

 _There's something he's not telling me._

"No. I will only agree to do this if you promise NOT to hurt or kill any of my friends."

Maul contemplated the teen's offer.

"I promise, as long as they stay out of our ordeal."

"That's not what I…"

"They must stay off of this planet. This is now our mission, not theirs. If it stays that way, your friends will not be harmed."

Ezra looked down as he scanned through his thoughts. Forever never felt so long before now. There had to be a loophole out of this, but he didn't know what exactly it was. Reluctantly, he made his final decision, announcing it through gritted teeth.

"Fine."

Maul smirked, pleased with Ezra's answer. His gesture made the Jedi feel all the more ill. The man came to him, again offering his hand for assistance. Despite his better judgement, he did not want to show any more signs of weakness than he already had. He couldn't be completely reliant on the man that he meant to kill.

"No thanks," the weary Jedi replied, "I've got this."

Once again, he had offered his hand to the Jedi, yet for the second time, he did not take it. Instead of retracting his hand, Maul clutched the boy's shoulder, looking over his own. His palms felt cold upon the touch and sent a shiver down the young Jedi's body. In the boy's mind he could tell that to him, it felt unnatural.

"Come apprentice, we have a long journey ahead."


	8. The Undertaking

Author's Note: Thanks to Kar'tayl-Cuyir-Dral, neonstorm854, Razzle162, and I amm Groot for your reviews and comments on my last chapter. There's no need to excuse my absence at this point, so I'll skip that rant. I hope that you continue to enjoy this story, and may the Force be with you.

*No mild language. - Hey look, another chapter without a mild language warning. That's an academy record.

There was a disturbance in the Force, one that the old man could not deny. He had felt this presence for some time now, but it wasn't until the night before that he began to sense something different. A new ripple within the Force told the ageing man that there was another out there, yet unlike his long-time foe, this one seemed to be split. Whoever he was, the man was reminded of his old and long lost friend, constantly torn between the Light and Dark sides of the Force. He was sure that whoever this individual was had good intentions for being here, yet was being divided between his missions and his morals.

As the twin suns continued to rise in the early day, the Jedi saw both hope and danger, right and wrong, decisions that could lead one astray or to the path they intended to go. Today was a new day, a new trial, something more to test those who have yet to discover who they are. Some could see the warmth of the suns rays to be welcoming, while others will only see it as a warning for the heat that is to come. However anyone looked at it depended on their point of view, so there was no true right or wrong answer, just what was perceived as good and evil. Again, that also depended on one's point of view.

He could hear voices within the Force call out to him, directed specifically to him. Some were threats of slaughter, while others were calls for rescue. The Force moved in very mysterious ways, but there was no denying what would eventually come to pass, and try as he might, this new presence could not stop the inevitable from becoming a reality.

Something felt off, but the young padawan had trouble deciding what it was. Something about the way Maul had approached him made the teen feel uneasy, yet somehow, it gave him strength, and power. A tremor through the Force to put it lightly.

It wouldn't, no, couldn't leave his mind. Just a little while ago he could scarcely make any motion without injuring himself, yet now he was on his feet and walking through the desert canyon as though he was never hurt, despite this immense pain. It was all too strange to just end up being coincidence. There was something more to this, and Ezra was sure that he had something to do with it. Not just him, but the Force, the pull to the Dark Side.

It was as if there was no pain or soreness to cripple him, yet the minor headache from his lack of water was still there. Not even the cut on his shin seemed to be a detriment to his movement. His throat still felt too dry from thirst, but it didn't hinder his breathing. His good hand found its way back above the rib where it stayed during the entire trek, the compressed feeling still prominent. It all seemed like some weird dream or vision, yet he had control of his actions. All of it was off putting.

"Is there something troubling you, apprentice?"

Ezra felt a bit hesitant upon hearing his voice. He had to remember that they were, indeed, walking side by side through the rocky cluster, with him only a pace or two away. He'd gotten so lost in thought that the reminder that he was with someone made him somewhat jumpy.

For some time he had been walking with his head hung low as if in shame for something he did, though that wasn't far from the truth. There was no need to explain why; he already knew what he did. He betrayed his master, he betrayed his Jedi teachings, and he betrayed his friends. He lost it all in the slim hope that Maul would keep his word. The only way to redeem himself would be to keep Master Kenobi safe from Maul's wrath, which now appeared to be dwindling more with each passing moment. There wasn't a way to beat him before, but even if there was, the former Sith would find out prior to another attack… unless he could get Maul to trust him completely. It would be a wound that could take a long time to heal. That too included their newfound agreement; Ezra's promise to become his apprentice and for Maul to be his new master. He hated thinking about him that way. It made him feel sick.

Ezra removed his good hand from the bone and rubbed the back of his neck, desperately trying to come up with something to say. His voice came out parched, though not as bad as it was that morning.

"Yes… well no. It's not important."

Snap out of it, Ezra! Why are you being such a pushover?

A pang shot from his torso and he replaced the empty space with his good hand once more. Maul released a small huff in return."I'm sure that anything that has kept you silent for this long is worth talking about."

Com'on Ezra, do something.

Ezra straightened himself and regained some much needed confidence. "This deal we made. How do I know that you will keep it? Why should I trust you after everything that you did?"

Maul turned to face the teen, a stern look on his face.

"Because apprentice…" Maul placed his hand on the teen's shoulder, "I am all that is keeping you alive."

"I don't care about my well-being." Ezra shoved his hand away. "I'm talking about the people you want to kill, the same people you promised not to hurt as long as I do what you say."

"There is your answer, young Ezra. As long as you do what I say, I will not harm your friends."

"That's not good enough for me. I need to know why."

Maul stepped in front of Ezra, causing both of them to cease their walking. They ended up no more than a foot away from each other.

"You will know what you need to in due time. For now, it would be best to keep yourself alive and out of harm's way. Besides, I do not care for your friends. They are of no relevance to me or my plans."

Maul turned away from the teen and continued forward. Ezra stiffly crossed his arms.

"Then why all the secrets?"

Maul stopped in his tracks. He inclined his head towards Ezra with an intriguing yet steadfast glare. "Because, that is how a master trains his apprentice. A master should never reveal all of his secrets at once, but over time."

The former Sith motioned for Ezra. "Come," he said with a small smirk on his face, "there is still so much more you need to learn."

Bitterly, Ezra followed in the footsteps of his new 'master'. It was still off putting that his injuries weren't a detriment to his walking.

"Chopper, have you found anything yet?"

The droid responded with discontent that while he was on the trail of one, he lost it during a recent sandstorm. The news didn't please the Jedi, but didn't cause him to be upset, because he really didn't know how to react formally to it. He was glad that Chopper was on the trail of a ship, but the longer this sandstorm that he was caught up in raged, the longer Ezra was trapped with Maul, inevitably by his side. The thought didn't comfort him, but there was not much that he could do about it, and letting his emotions take control would only do him more harm than good.

Kanan put the com-link down as he stood in the Ghost's hallways, pacing back and forth between the cockpit and common room doors. He felt feverish after having been awake for so long as it was taking a toll on him.

Hera, coming from the cargo hold, walked passed the automatic doors and was met with the Jedi, lost in thought. He sensed her and greeted her with a weary smile.

"Any luck?"

She hid her emotions well, but Kanan could tell that she did not carry any good news.

"No. All of our troops here are preparing for the attack on Lothal, while our other allies have been working to build up a place of their own on Yavin 4."

"What about our other contacts?"

"They don't exactly have the resources to deal with a Sith or Force user of any kind."

"Are any of them willing to help?"

There was a long still pause between the two, and the Jedi dreaded what Hera was about to say.

"Not if he is involved."

Kanan cursed under his breath. It looked like they were on their own.

If only we were actually on our own in the first place, then we could...

"Kanan, what is it?"

"What is what?"

"Dear, I can tell when you're feeling troubled. But I know that this is something different, and it's not just about Ezra."

Kanan huffed knowing he wasn't getting out of this conversation.

"It's just this whole Rebellion thing. If they want to help others and save the galaxy so much, why can't they send a few guys to help him, or at least offer us some assistance?"

"To be honest, I too wish they would help us, even if the help we would receive was only minuscule in scale."

Kanan felt some comfort knowing that Hera wasn't one hundred percent on board with Sato's orders either. Still, he hated the idea of joining the Rebellion in the first place, and this situation provoked that feeling all the more.

"Does Sabine know about this?" the Jedi asked.

"Not yet. I thought it would be best for you to tell her."

The Jedi inhaled heftily. He wanted to be the one to tell her. He shook his head instead.

"I can't, I need some more time to think. Can you do it?"

He knew that though it would've been best for him to tell Sabine, he just couldn't risk another emotional outburst, not with what was happening there and then. He felt overwhelmed even at the thought to have to explain what happened, again.

"Certainly love."

Reluctantly, the Twi'lek turned to leave the Jedi to his meditation. Before the automatic doors closed, Kanan could feel her eyes upon him, so he looked back, and the two stared at each other for a long while. Soon, the doors closed and the Jedi was left to himself again. He closed his eyes to delve deep within the Force as he searched for whatever help he could get.

"It will take a lot more convincing before I call you anything above a servant."

"So technically, I'm a slave."

For an additional hour or so, the two had continued their walk through the canyons, Maul hoping to arrive at their desired destination shortly. The sunlight steadily gained more and more altitude in the late morning sky, driving what early colors that may have shown to be extinguished by a constant pale grey blue. Their walking path was narrowing as they patrolled ever more to his place of desire, opposing the workings of most other rocky structures that merged into this sought out environment.

Despite walking silently for the majority of their journey, these last few minutes had begun to stur an unusual conversation. Ezra, his apprentice, was asking several questions about trust and other similar matters, many of which the former Sith either ignored or dismissed. After a few times, however, he eventually exposed some insight onto the younger's questions, whether he like the answers or not.

"No. A slave is forced into labor and gains no benefits. You, on the other hand, have gained so much more from your time spent with me. A servant is given a choice."

"Not much of a choice if the other is death."

With their narrowing pathway came narrower quarters. The two were nearing close to the pathway's border, with Ezra, to Maul's right, moving the closest to it.

"Should we put that choice to a test?"

The teen began raising his voice, seemingly unaware of it. He could feel the anger rising within him, controlling him. He saw his apprentice eyeing his own lightsaber, which clung onto the man's belt.

"I don't know, should we?"

Without a second thought, Maul grasped Ezra's collar and slammed the teen's back into the rock wall, cracking a section of it. The teen's feet dangled about a foot above ground, keeping him at eye level with the former Sith. The former, in shock, clutched Maul's wrist with his good hand, and with his second he wrapped his arm around the man's own as best as he could, trying to loosen his hold, while the broken hand merely dangled in midair. He growled at the teen, having seen the defiant look on his face, and witnessed it transform to fear. That was after Maul grazed his free hand across his lightsaber staff, Ezra having noticed the small gesture and its meaning.

He could sense the boy's fear growing with each passing moment, correlating with a final few droplets of cold sweat that penetrated his face. He could sense the desperateness that he had on staying alive, and how the teen regretted his mistake for talking back to him. If not for respect, it was for the hope of living long enough to complete his task. Though frustrating, that was something that he could admire. Maul overlooked his frightened face and noticed a small but diluted trickle of blood exit Ezra's mouth.

As suddenly as it came, it went. Maul's face filled with contempt and he looked Ezra in the eyes. He released his apprentice and stepped back, giving the boy room to catch himself. The teen slipped, but used the wall as leverage to help him get back up. He was panting with a look that could have been taken from a shaken child.

"I apologize for my impulsive behavior, apprentice. I hope that someday you will understand the frustrations that a master must endure with students who are less than obedient."

The two arrived at the edge of a vast barren valley as they emerged from the clustered canyon side. Great dust clouds formed in the distance, indicating that a sandstorm was on the way. The suns had migrated higher into the sky and had dissipated most of the natural shadows that were being provided by the rocks. All of their walking had begun to drain their energy and leave them dehydrated, especially the youngest of the pair.

Ezra, having spotted a small patch of shadow, detached himself from Maul's side as he made his way to a small overpass, which provided hardly enough shade for one. He barely made it a few steps before a hand upon his shoulder stopped him.

"We are not here to relax." Maul said, in a tone that peaked on the edge of annoyance. He turned the teen towards the desolate plain, who was reluctant to the gesture. "What do you see, Ezra?"

Ezra squinted long and hard at the landscape. Dehydration was beginning to show its effects when the teen was having difficulty focusing. He tried concentrating on whatever Maul was pointing out, but had difficulty in finding anything.

"Nothing but a desert and dry winds."

Maul shook his head in disappointment. "No, you must look closer." The man waved his cane towards the endless sea of sand. "See through the Force."

"What am I looking for, exactly?"

Maul gave him another stern glance, yet this time he remained unmoved.

The teen rolled his eyes. "Fine, don't tell me."

Ezra focused his gaze upon the boundless landscape. He concentrated and tried to look for something amidst the emptiness. The heat created waves along the surface of the planet, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing except…

"Wait, what is that?"

He squinted harder and observed the landscape closely. There was something moving across the desert, a creature of some sort with a big lump on its back. Not a lump, a person, someone riding atop a beast of sorts. While taking in the image, something felt all too familiar about the man. Was it a man, or an alien? It was definitely sentient. Whatever or whoever it was had a strong-willed mind.

"Who is that? I feel like I know him."

Maul straightened his back in pleasure. "That, my apprentice, is our destination. I must congratulate you on finding our objective so easily."

Ezra glanced at Maul confused. "But that's not possible. Why would he be out there when a sandstorm is just on the horizon?"

"I'm afraid that I do not know, Ezra. But what I do know is that this is our opportunity to act, to seek out the answer to your dire question."

"Shouldn't we wait until the storm passes? If we go now, we'll be caught in it too."

"So you want to simply watch this opportunity fade in front of you? By the time the storm is done, he may be a hundred miles away, and you would be left answer-less."

"But shouldn't we conserve our energy? You know, save the traveling for when the storm has faded?"

"Are you going to let your selfish impulses drive your motive, or will you venture out and face your destiny?"

Ezra turned again to the desert and stared at the object in the distance, watching it fade slowly into the horizon. He contemplated his thoughts and waited for a few moments.

"As long as you don't try to kill me."

"Of course. Besides," Maul said as he placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, "that is your job."

My job?

Ezra seemed more confused than before. He didn't think of Maul as suicidal, though he wouldn't mind finishing him off instead. Maybe he was playing stupid or was looking for a satirical remark to throw back at him (concerning the night before), but it didn't seem to be so. He had no clue what to make of it.

The teen then had a thought. He pulled out his remaining Holocron pieces and held them before himself and out towards the desert. There was a chance that he was just seeing a mirage of some sort and that Maul was just playing him. He let the pieces level out and observed their action. Sure enough, the pieces steadied and pointed to the figure in the distance.

He would have bought what they relayed too, had he not given second thoughts about the inner workings of the ancient relics.

"How do I know this isn't just another trap?"

The former Sith expressed a look of subtle disgust. "You don't."

Ezra felt a slight shiver go up his spine. He glanced between the sentient in the desert and the Holocron remains, doing his best to avoid eye contact with Maul. He took in a deep breath and began his trek forward, his new master following close behind.


End file.
